Let There Be Light
by TheJovialJay
Summary: Akira was born in a foreign land and also blind. To add onto her difficult beginning, she also has a seal on her body that has stopped her chakra... but is that all it's for? What happens when the only person she trusts betrays her and turns her body into a vessel for a dark entity? Will her new friends be able to sever the ties she has and free her? Follows canon! Naruto x OC!
1. Akira Hotaru

**A/N: Hey everyone. This is a revised version of my "Before The Lights Go Out" OC story. There was a lot that I wasn't too happy with before, so I've made a lot of changes to the direction the story's going to take. And this time, I will actually update past chapter four (I've currently written to chapter seven, so that's a pretty good start, I think!)**

**Can I just ask everyone who reads this to write a review, letting me know what you think? This chapter is pretty short, but I'm uploading it with the second and third one as well. From there, I plan to update weekly on a Saturday evening (GMT). **

**Again, reviews with constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. It's still early days, and I'm not 100% where this story will go. As cliché as this sounds, I really am letting the characters decide what happens - but feedback would vastly help my decision-making process!**

**Anyway, read on!**

* * *

Hotaru Akira had always been different. Unlike her peers, she wasn't built for the battlefield. She wasn't built for war.

As a matter of fact, there didn't seem to be much that the young girl _was_ made for. For as long as she could recall, Akira had always been at the bottom of her classes. She could barely focus enough chakra to form a simple ninjutsu and her small frame made it near impossible for the young girl to hold her ground in any sparring matches. Nonetheless, Akira worked and studied hard, and her knowledge on the theory and history of the shinobi world was second to none. Of course, what use was theory and knowledge if the physical components couldn't be matched?

Akira often felt alone and, for a child who had come to the village as an outsider, had no support system to help her advance in her studies. Even her teacher, a tall, sharp man with a close-shaven head of black hair seemed to have lost all of his patience with the girl's slow advancement. He simply couldn't work out why the Hokage was so fixated on having this girl - a blind girl - stay in the Academy.

Blind and physically inept at the one thing many shinobi should have an affinity for, Akira was certainly at a huge disadvantage. Her reason for existence in the class seemed to be only for comedic relief, as students would purposefully put their bags in the footpath and hide her belongings. Along with the nickname "Alien," Akira was at her breaking point.

* * *

One morning, before class, Akira slowly made her way down the stairs as the warm smell of miso soup caught her attention. Sure enough, in the kitchen, her landlord Gin was preparing a hearty breakfast for the pair of them. For a brief moment, the elderly man diverted his attention to the child as she walked over, keeping her hands on the wall as she walked.

"Good morning, my child," he greeted with a warm smile, as he turned the heat down on the stove. Akira smiled back in return and took her seat at the table.

"It smells delicious, Grandpa." She replied, her bright blue eyes brimming with joy. "What's the occasion?" While it wasn't uncommon for Gin to prepare them both breakfast, the first meal often consisted of simple toast with a selection of fruits and juices. More often than not, Gin had a busy day ahead with running the tavern, so most meals were simple and easy to prepare in the mornings.

"Well, it's your exam day today." He reminded her with a smile that was short-lived as he watched her expression fall into a scowl. "You'll do just fine, my child." His voice was soft as he set the two bowls onto the table and took his seat beside her. It pained him to see this little girl feel so deflated before such a big day and there was nothing he could really do to help her. Gin wasn't a shinobi - just an ordinary man - so he felt useless when it came to assisting the young girl with her homework and her studies. On top of that, his evenings and weekends were usually taken up completely by running the bar and dealing with his patrons.

Akira simply nodded with a hollow smile and started eating her soup slowly, her mind clearly set on other things. "I want to leave the Academy… I could work with you?" She finally said, lifting her head up from her bowl.

"You know that's not possible, Akira." Gin said in a quiet whisper.

* * *

Three years ago, when Akira was just eight, she was found wandering into the gates of Konohagakure, and several guards stopped her and brought her straight to the Hokage's office. Not wishing to see the young child fend for herself - knowing that if she did, she would surely perish as she was frightfully thin, with her body even trembling under the weight it had to carry.

With his mind set, Sarutobi Hiruzen sought after his old friend, Gin, and explained the situation. The tavern had several rooms that were regularly let out for visitors and people who were in between homes, so Gin was more than fine having a more long-term lodger stay, provided that she tried to help out where she could to offset some of the costs of her living there.

It had been agreed that Akira's right to remain in the village was granted on the condition that she enrolled in the Academy as soon as she could. Despite her disability, Hiruzen saw something in Akira that had convinced him she would make a fine Shinobi. Perhaps she didn't know it yet, but there was a fire behind those cold, glassy eyes that would surely make her a force to be reckoned with in the village.

From that day, Akira stayed with Gin, where she learned how to navigate with a cane as well as perform simple tasks such as cooking, cleaning and even learning to read braille. Gin's fondness for Akira grew quickly. She became family to him, as he did for her and their lonely pasts were soon forgotten in the wake of this new bond.

* * *

"Grandpa?" Akira urged, as if it wasn't the first time she'd tried to catch his attention. "Grandpa… I said I couldn't hear you." The young girl added as soon as Gin snapped his thoughts back to their conversation.

"I just want you to do your best today." Gin finally said as he gave the girl an affectionate pat on the head. "The exams aren't all about ninjutsu. You've got a great knowledge of the shinobi world. Your written homework has always been exceptional and you do have a great aptitude for the physical nature of taijutsu." He added with a soft smile before finishing his soup. "Now you best hurry up and get on your way to class, my child."

With a huff, Akira finished her breakfast and stood to take both the empty bowls to the kitchen to wash up. Gin followed her out and leaned against the doorway, watching as the young girl completed her chore as quickly as if she had perfect 20/20 vision. _She sure picks things up fast_, the man thought to himself as he thanked her for her help.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Akira looked up at the elder with an earnest smile before giving him a hug. "I'll see you after class?"

"I'll be there." He promised as he grabbed her cane from the basket by the door. "Win or lose, you just do your best and that's all that matters."

* * *

A few minutes later, Akira arrived at her class and just as she took her seat the first stage of the exams were being handed out. It was a written exam as usual and Akira sighed. The written exam was always the easiest part for her and her score in the first phase was often one of the highest in her year group. Her ability to calculate the correct angle and trajectory of a projectile, her ability to compare and explain the various types of genjutsu and how best to counter or escape them, as well as her knowledge of the shinobi history in general was second to none. The fate of the exam came down to the second half: the practical assessment.

Akira's name was soon called upon and she made her way hastily out of the door, ignoring the mockful laughs of her peers. Outside the classroom, a chunin instructor directed her to the room where Iruka and her sensei, Itsuki, were patiently waiting. All the students had been told that the topic of the exam was to perform a transformation jutsu of either chunin instructor.

With a slow nod, Akira formed the hand-sign and attempted to complete the jutsu. A cloud of smoke engulfed her, but as the fumes dissipated, Akira was still stood there just as she had done before.

"W-wait… I can do this… I-I -" Akira stuttered as she fumbled about to clear the smoke and try again.

"I think we've seen enough." Her sensei shot her a stare before waving a dismissive hand. "Fail."

Iruka stifled a gasp as he watched his colleague usher the young girl out of the room. The energy between Akira and Itsuki was dense and heavy. It was no surprise to the younger chunin that the girl was failing so bad in her classes. Of course, he couldn't confront the man about his teaching techniques and, instead of staying for the next student, Iruka quickly excused himself and asked the chunin who escorted Akira inside to take his place on the panel.

* * *

Outside the exam room, Akira brushed her lilac qipao dress off before making her way out of the Academy to meet Gin, who was nowhere to be found. Certain that he would turn up soon, Akira made her way to the swingset to wait for him.

"So, I guess you didn't make it either?" A young boy appeared behind her. His voice was soft and almost sorrowful. Not at all a voice she recognised. Akira ignored him, not wanting to speak in case her voice cracked and the tears she was holding back broke free. "I didn't either." The boy continued, clearly not fazed by this stranger's silence and unwillingness to interact. With that, he took a seat on the ground nearby and let out a sigh. "Those transformation techniques are tough, right? I mean, I worked so hard but it's just so hard, y'know? There's always next year though and I feel like next year will be the year. I feel like I'm getting there… I just wish it wasn't so hard, y'know?" The boy paused, realising that the girl was just staring through him. He could tell she wasn't looking _at_ him, but at the same time it felt like her attention was at least directed his way. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, by the way! The next Hokage, believe it!"

Silence filled the air for a moment. Akira didn't know what to say. Was this boy really not aware of who she was? Had he somehow missed out on the playground jokes that the other students played on her, the "Alien of the Academy"? Surely he had. It felt as though even the parents called her by that name these days.

"I have to go. Excuse me." Akira finally said as she heard a familiar sound ahead. Gin had finally arrived and was calling her name. Without missing a beat, Akira jumped off of the swing and made a beeline for her Grandpa. Naruto simply watched with a sad sigh. Why did he expect her to actually talk to him. Boy, she couldn't wait to get away from him!

Akira ran straight into Gin's arms and hugged him tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes.

"It's okay, my child." The old man soothed as he held her. "I'm sorry I'm late. I bumped into Iruka-sensei on my way here. He thinks that you'd do better in his class." Gin began and Akira shot her head up and, sure enough, there was another presence just behind Gin.

"Iruka-sensei." Akira quickly stood straight and bowed her head respectfully.

"Relax," Iruka said with a soft smile. "Your grandfather is right. Actually, one student, Rock Lee, failed his exam too, but has been taken on by one of the jounin sensei as an apprentice. It made me think that perhaps you're not reaching your potential where you are. I think a change of scenery will do you good."

Gin gleefully patted the child on the back. "I think that would be great." He declared with a wide grin. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

Still taken aback, Akira paused for a moment before also thanking Iruka. She had heard of Rock Lee and how Team Gai took him on despite the student's gen and ninjutsu being one of the worst in his year group. Trying to not let her hopes get too wild, Akira finally smiled up at her new sensei. "So I'll see you next month, huh?"

Iruka grinned. "I look forward to it." Then the chunin waved a hand before bidding the pair farewell.

As soon as Iruka was out of sight, Gin pulled Akira into a hug. "Right then, miss, shall we get back home and make a start on your summer homework?" It wasn't really a question, and Akira let out a groan before she nodded her head and linked her arm with Gin's, allowing her to lead her back to their tavern.

* * *

**Apologies for the shortness. There wasn't a great deal to really include here, but I feel it's set the rest up nicely. From here on, the chapters should be a lot longer and a bit more interesting - or not - you decide! (Also apologies for any spelling errors, I'll be cleaning up once this story is done).**

**Don't forget to leave some feedback, good or bad, and I'll see you in the next one!**


	2. A New Year

**A/N: Just as an FYI, this chapter is set in the beginning of Naruto's last year at the academy. So, everyone's about twelve years old here. **

**As always, please let me know what you think. **

* * *

Thin rays of light burst through the dark clouds and into Akira's bedroom as she tapped the alarm silent. Today was the day. Today was the start of her new year at the Academy with Iruka-sensei.

Naturally, the white haired girl was apprehensive about the new day. After all, would Iruka be able to do anything more than what her previous sensei did? Would Iruka actually help her become the kunoichi he, Grandpa and the Hokage saw in her? Perhaps. But also, perhaps it was just another pipe dream.

As soon as she had changed into her favourite lilac qipao dress and her black shorts, Akira made a beeline for the stairs where, once again to celebrate the start of the term, her Grandpa was preparing a hearty dish of miso soup, rice and fish.

"It smells delicious." Akira remarked with a smile. She said it each and every time, but never without sincerity. Gin was a very talented chef, and his food had an unwavering ability to warm up even the coldest of winter nights. "Thank you, Grandpa." She added as she jumped down the last few steps and made her way to the dining table, where she knelt down upon her cushion and waited for breakfast to be served.

"You've a big day today. It seems only fitting you have a big breakfast." Gin replied with a warm smile as he served their meals.

Akira beamed brightly as the smells enveloped her senses. "Hm, any bigger and I'll be the size of this house."

"I could only hope." Gin retorted with a laugh as he pushed Akira's chopsticks over to her place setting. "You're as small as you were four years ago." He added with a playful roll of his eyes. Akira said nothing as she was already shoving huge chunks of food into her mouth. _What a little lady_, Gin smiled to himself as he watched her tuck in.

As per the routine, Akira cleared the table and made her way to the kitchen to wash up while Gin fetched her white cane by the door. "Have a good day, my child." He wished her, as he handed over her wooden aid.

"I'll see you later." Akira promised as she gave the old man a hug before making her way out of the door to the Academy.

* * *

The playground was full of parents and their kids when Akira arrived. It was all perfectly normal for a first day back at the Academy after graduation exams. Without stopping to see if anyone she recognised from her old class was still around, Akira hurried indoors to her new class.

Before she even got to the door, she could hear a load of commotion. One voice instantly struck her as familiar. _Uzumaki Naruto?_ She wondered to herself before letting herself in.

The blonde was screaming at another student, who clearly wasn't about to take the bait. Instead, he seemed to have an entourage of girls lining up as his defence. Just as she was used to, the moment she entered the room, everyone fell silent. _Oh, great… this again._ Akira sighed and ignored the feeling of having one hundred eyes fixated on her as she tried to work out where to sit.

"Hey, come next to me." A female voice piped up and Akira turned her head to a girl in the front row. With a quiet word of thanks, Akira took her place and within moments, the arguments resumed between the blonde and - as she quickly worked out - the Uchiha.

Following the noise closely was Iruka-sensei's arrival, and he was quick to take back control of the room. He was starkly different to her former teacher. His method of control wasn't so much through shouting and exerting his authority, but rather through a mutual level of respect that he'd clearly earned over the years. Akira could get used to this new way of learning.

"This morning, I'd like you all to meet Hotaru Akira." Iruke announced to the class, only to be met with an audible huff from Naruto. Unaware of their first meeting, after the exams, Iruka frowned and pointed straight at the young boy. "Naruto, you could do with the extra help in class. Why don't you sit down the front here and pair up with Akira for the group projects. She's far surpassed your ability in the theoretical knowledge" Akira quickly stifled her groan, not wanting to make her displeasure too evident. Unlike her blonde-haired classmate, Akira could at least pretend to not be wholly disappointed.

* * *

As the day progressed, Akira kept her head down with her work. She wasn't quite confident enough to participate in class discussions or raise her hand when she knew the answers yet, but she was enjoying it a lot more than before. Lunchtime soon rolled around and all the students stood up to leave, except for Akira, who decided to wait back until she was the last one out. As soon as she heard the last steps pass her, she grabbed her cane and made her way out.

"So, what's that?" Naruto asked inquisitively. Akira stiffened. _How did he manage to sneak up on her like that?_ The noisiest kid in her class and yet he managed to completely take her by surprise.

"It's a stick." Akira replied with an air of amusement. Naruto grunted in response.

"Well, I can see that!"

"So why ask if you know what it is?" Akira quipped back, picking the cane up and twirling it around her fingers.

Naruto groaned. His frustration was quite obvious at this point. "I meant what is it for?"

"Then you should have asked that." The girl's quick answers only served to wind Naruto up. It worked, that was for certain. He seemed to take the bait so quickly, that Akira felt it would be a waste to not make the most of it. There wasn't any malice in her playful joking, of course. Akira knew how that sort of mockery felt and she was careful to not overstep the line regardless of who she was talking with.

"So will you tell me what it's for then?" Naruto asked and Akira smiled at the childlike curiosity in his voice.

"Walking, mostly." Akira shrugged. "But it makes for a great multi-tool, as well." Akira went to demonstrate its many uses before Naruto quickly interrupted with a question she really didn't expect anyone to have to ask.

"Why do you need it for walking?" _Had he been living under a rock?_ Akira assumed that everyone in the Academy knew she was blind. After all, was that not why he attempted to rub her exam failure in her face last month? Had nobody told him how she couldn't even muster up a simple transformation technique or even a replacement jutsu?

"I… I can't see." She replied slowly, as if expecting the boy to suddenly laugh at the comment - like a weird "gotcha!" type prank, or something to that affect. Instead, Naruto just nodded his head finally at a loss for anything to say. It suddenly dawned on the young girl that his remarks fro the playground were purely innocent. "I'm sorry, I thought you know, I thought-"

Akira didn't expect him to forgive her. She also didn't expect the board eraser to come flying her way in the same instant either. Without a moment's hesitation, Akira snatched the tool straight from the air and dropped it to the ground.

"What the _hell_ was that for?" She yelled at the blonde who panicked.

"You said you couldn't see. Yet you caught that right before it hit you!" Naruto accused, jutting his finger in Akira's direction.

"You idiot! I can feel the air move around it. Just as I can hear the sound waves bounce off of objects when I walk. That's how I can navigate around most of my surroundings." Naruto clearly didn't get it, so Akira took the boy by his shoulders and set him about an arm's length away. "Right, close your eyes and I'll aim that same board eraser at you. You'll feel it coming and be able to catch the eraser before it even lands. Promise."

Intrigued, Naruto closed his eyes as the girl fumbled about for the item and stood a few paces away. "Right, so will you give me a warning when you're about-"

"OW-OW-OUCH!" Naruto screamed as Akira hurled the eraser, square in middle of Narutp's face. Blood gushed out of his nose and pooled around the boy as he frantically waved his hands around his face, feeling everything start to puff up. "What the actual Hell was that about? Why didn't you tell me you were going to do it then? OW!"

"I thought you'd catch it before it landed!" Akira retorted, stepping back as the blond flailed about the empty classroom.

"Well I clearly didn't did I? You didn't even warn me!" Naruto was glowing red at this point as he desperately tried to stop the blood from shooting out of his nostrils. "Hell!"

"What is going on here?!" Iruka then burst into the room, clearly having sprinted all the way from wherever he was.

"In my defence, the enemy doesn't typically _warn _you of their plan to attack. And I really thought you'd catch it!" Akira insisted as Iruka took her to one side while he dealt with the wailing student. The rest of the students started forming a pile outside the classroom door, all keen to try and catch a glimpse of this spectacle.

"Right, you both are staying back after school today." Iruka said with a heavy sigh, still trying to soak up the claret with some towels. "I didn't think you'd get along immediately, but I certainly didn't expect you to start beating each other up in the classroom!"

"It wasn't like that!" Akira exclaimed, but Iruka was having none of it right now. He simply repeated the order that they both stay back after class and that would be the end of it.

As soon as the two had finished cleaning up the floor and as soon as Naruto had plugged up both of his nostrils to dry up any last remnants of blood, the rest of the students were allowed to filter back in, one-by-one. They all passed the two kids, who were both feeling far worse than they looked.

* * *

At the end of the day, all the students left the room except Naruto and Akira, who quietly stayed in their seats. Iruka walked over and knelt down in front of their desk. "Look, you two. I don't need you to like each other… just stop the fighting, okay? You've still got to put up with each other until the genin exams, so just try and get along, alright?"

"It really wasn't like that." Akira pleaded, turning to Naruto as if he might come to her defence, but the boy was totally silent as he sulked. .

Iruke sighed and stood up. "I don't care _what_ it was like. Just please, don't do it again?" He asked, his tone taking a sudden turn to something softer and more understanding. "Now, I did ask you both to stay back, so how about you help each other with these mock exams for the genin test?"Iruka suggested and handed them a single exam sheet as well as an answer sheet. Akira let out a long exhale and accepted that there was no way of getting out of this situation.

"Eh, sensei, this one's empty!" Naruto exclaimed as he picked one of the papers up and showed it to his teacher. Iruka simply smiled.

"To get along as a team, you need to work together. You have a question sheet and an answer sheet. One of them is in traditional print, while the other is in braille." He explained simply before heading out the door, just hoping his plan to get them working together would work out as he intended.

Akira traced her fingers across the page and nodded her head, as if to confirm her suspicion. "It's braille. A type of written language for people like me." She clarified as she read over the first question. Naruto simply watched in silent awe as this girl made sense of what was a totally foreign language to him. The way her brows furrowed together as she read the questions simply intrigued him.

"Who taught you this?" Naruto asked inquisitively, watching as her fingers danced across the page, tracing over each question. She then passed the paper to Naruto.

"My friend, Daisuke." She replied quickly, trying to mask the sadness in her tone. "Anyway, hold your hand like this and feel that section there. Feel it? Each of these groups of dots are letters. It's just a case of putting the letters to form the words. Like normal reading… or so I have been told"

Naruto laughed a little at Akira's comment and did as he was instructed. Akira placed her hand over his and taught him what each of the raised bumps represented in the Japanese alphabet, while also being completely oblivious to the rising heat in Naruto's cheeks at their proximity in that moment. A large part of him was still mad that she got them both into this mess, whilst at the same time it was really weird having a girl be so close to him that he could actually smell the scent of her shampoo.

"I assume your sheet has the printed text, right?" Akira glanced over at Naruto. Her icy blue eyes piercing into Naruto's own as she spoke. It gave the blonde a shiver that shot right up his spine. The boy quickly distanced himself from his teammate and fumbled around for the other sheet of paper that was handed out to them, quickly rinsing his mind of his perverse thoughts.

"Uh, um, yeah, it does." Naruto confirmed as he read the answers out loud, doing his best to mask the shakiness in his voice. Together, the pair worked on the questions one by one, with Akira reading the answer and the pair working out each answer before jotting their workings out on the printed sheet of answers. An hour later and the sheet was competed. The pair sighed in relief before Naruto went to find Iruka, who was just on his way back to release the students from their detention.

"All done, I assume?" Iruka questioned as he entered the room, just barely avoiding a collision with the eager student. His gaze scanned over the room to where Akira was still sat, looking a little less enthusiastic compared to Naruto, who had both pages clutched in his hands.

"You bet! We worked together, just as you asked us to, believe it!" Naruto beamed and Akira simply smiled to herself as she grabbed her cane and stood up to join her classmate and sensei. The feeling of finally being free from the establishment was just as much a reward as any praise the pair might receive from Iruka.

Iruka scanned his eyes over their answers and grinned brightly at the pair. "Good work you two. Really well done. You got each answer right." His attention then turned to Akira, knowing that it was because of her theoretical knowledge that they both passed without any mark downs. _Those two sure make a good team_, Iruka thought to himself before dismissing the duo for the night. He had to admit he was impressed that the pair could work as well as they did. Their personality traits were like ice and fire, and not the sort of match that he would have paired together at any time.

Outside the classroom, Akira wasted no time in heading down the hallway for home, completely ignoring the blonde who was chasing after her. All she wanted was to get back home and _hope_ Gin wasn't going to be too mad at her detention. Meanwhile, Naruto and Iruka watched before the boy looked up to his sensei with a hopeful grin. "So, I was thinking we could get some dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm _starving,_ y'know?" Iruka chuckled and obliged, quickly locking up the classroom door before following his student out of the Academy and to the town.

* * *

As the evening went on, Iruka and Naruto finally parted ways, both feeling very full up with the hot noodles they'd ordered. On the way back to his apartment, Naruto decided to take the more scenic route, figuring that a bit of extra training would do him some good. It was late, so he knew there'd be no teams taking up the training fields nearby.

The Third Training Ground was the closest, and Naruto quickly made his way through the woods and to the glade where, surprising him, was Akira from his class. The young student had her long hair pulled back into a tight ponytail as she stood with her back facing him, skimming rocks across the river into a neat pile on the other side. Naruto barely managed to make it an inch into the clearing before Akira stopped dead, whipped around and hurled a stone directly at Naruto, who just managed to dodge it.

"Watch it, will you!" Naruto bellowed, his face completely paled.

"Naruto." There was a definite hint of disappointment in her tone as Akira relaxed a little, now aware of who it was. The two students looked at each other, as if waiting for the other to explain why they were here so late but the clearing was filled with silence.

"So…" Naruto began as he leaned back onto his heels awkwardly, "you're here to just throw rocks into the water, or something?"

"That and at people who sneak up on me." The girl quipped as she waved him over - not that Naruto needed much encouragement to head across the clearing to her. "Actually, I'm kinda glad you're here."

That really surprised Naruto, who started stuttering a question, but Akira cut him off by covering the boy's mouth with her hand. Someone was nearby - and their energy didn't seem friendly.

"Hey, what's that about?" Naruto asked loudly once he'd pushed Akira away. His brain felt as though it was being sent in all directions with these mixed signals right now.

Akira quickly hushed him, scowling as she did so. "Someone's here," she mouthed silently, only to roll her eyes as Naruto asked her to speak up.

In that same instant, a kunai came flying out of the treeline, aimed straight at the pair. The throw was sloppy and Akira immediately recognised the smell of alcohol in the air. It was faint, but she could sense that this person wasn't in their right mind.

With a clang, the knife hit the pile of rocks on the other side of the river where the pair were stood. _Way off the mark_, Akira thought to herself before turning to Naruto, who was looking everywhere for the attacker. Of course, he didn't have to wait long before a dark figure emerged from the forest.

"The Demon Fox and the Alien?" A man, somewhere in his late-thirties spat as he staggered towards them, stinking of liquor. The villager fiddled around with his weapon pouch before taking another handful of kunai.

"Naruto, we need to run." Akira whispered urgently, as she tugged on the boy's orange jumpsuit. But he was frozen to the spot, shaking in fear. _Not a good time, Naruto! _Akira tightened her grip on his sleeve and tugged, but in that same moment the man released the kunai from his hands and the knives came flying out towards them. _They're going to hit!_ Akira panicked and swiftly threw herself in front of Naruto, her back faced against the attacker, and shoved the boy to the ground.

Two kunai struck her square in the middle of her back and Akira lurched forwards with a piercing scream and fell on top of Naruto, who soon snapped himself out of his terrified state.

"This'll be easier than I thought." Laughed the man, whose slow pace quickly transformed into a full-on sprint towards the two students. Naruto swore and quickly got to his feet, trying to pull Akira up with him but it was futile. She just remained limp on the ground. Having no other choice, Naruto lunged forward and started throwing punches at the man.

One blow, two, three, the pair attacked each other. Naruto was seriously no match for such a larger, bulkier man. But the intoxication was starting to work in the boy's favour. The drunkard's moves were sloppy and wasteful and, despite his serious inexperience, Naruto was somehow managing to hold his own.

"Naruto…!" Akira called from the ground, feeling weaker and weaker as the seconds passed. She had pulled the kunai from her back and had one clasped in her hands. "The river!"

As if he understood her completely, Naruto lured the fight closer to the water's edge. Meanwhile, Akira had stumbled to her feet and held a kunai in each hand. Her entire body was trembling from the agonising pain she was in, but she knew they'd only get caught if they tried to run away. As soon as Naruto had lured the man into position, Akira flung both kunai at the man's feet, causing him to recoil in pain. Naruto took that as his cue to swing a hard kick right into the man's beer gut and send him tumbling back into the water. At least if he did get out, his feet would be too sore to chase them both down straight away.

What followed was a satisfying crack and splash as the villager fell into the shallow river, smacking his head on the edge in the process. Naruto quickly rushed over to Akira and swept her into his arms, keeping her close as he ran towards the main town.

"Just take me home, please?" Akira muttered under her breath as she rested her head weakly on the blonde's chest.

"You gotta go see a doctor, Akira…" Naruto murmured as he leapt from tree branch to tree branch. "You're really hurt."

Dark blood oozed from the corners of Akira's mouth as she attempted a smile. "Perhaps. His aim was so bad… I think he was trying to hit you." All Naruto could do was smile back. Truthfully, he was feeling incredibly guilty for what had happened. Wherever he went, he seemed to attract negative attention and the villagers just seemed to hate him and, in turn, so did their children. It wasn't fair to let someone else get close enough to him that they also got hurt.

"I'm so sorry… Akira…" Naruto stopped in the middle of the path and fought back the tears in his eyes. Akira wasn't sure what the apology was for, but from the way he was shaking, she assumed he was crying. Quietly, she gestured for Naruto to put her down. Blood was still spilling from her back wound, and her legs were still shaking from what had just happened, but Naruto _needed_ to hear this now.

"Whatever it is, is not your fault." She assured him, caressing his cheek in her hand and staring up in his direction. Her face was deathly pale by this point, and the boy couldn't even understand what was keeping her holding on for even this long. "Some people, well, they just suck. Now, look… I really need to get home and-"

Before she was even able to finish her sentence, the pain mixed with the blood loss simply overwhelmed her and Akira blacked out. She fell into Naruto, who quickly caught her and looked around, having no clue where her home was - or who he could call for to help her. There was no other alternative - he _had _to take her to the hospital.

* * *

**So the next chapter is the last one set in the beginning of the Academy. From there, we'll be catching up to the main story line and introducing some new and old characters of mine. **

**Also, really random but I've been really into the Naruto OST from the original series. My favourite would probably have to be "The Raising Fighting Spirit". It's just such a great flash-to-the-past! Really gets those nostalgia feels going! Others from the soundtrack playlist I like are "Blind Animal" and "Senya/Itachi's Theme". I've read all the manga, but watching the anime with that soundtrack is just a whole other level! **

**Anyway, leave us a review and I'll see you in the next one!**


	3. A Strange Seal

**A/N: Right, this is the last time before we start cracking on with the genin exams next week. I'm really keen to get this story going and seeing where it takes us.**

**And remember, uploads will be weekly on Saturday evenings GMT! **

* * *

It was pretty common for Akira to head out after dinner and find a place to meditate, practice her projectiles or fitness for taijutsu, but this was the first time in four years that Akira didn't return after the tavern had closed. Gin knew something was up. After an hour of no return, Gin _knew_ something was wrong and he immediate sought after Iruka, hoping that perhaps her sensei would have an idea of where she could be.

As the pair searched through the village, they bumped into the drunkard who was soaked through after being thrown into the river. Sensing that this may have something to do with the missing student, Iruka went over and questioned him, only to learn that Naruto was also involved too. The man didn't seem particularly friendly and, in his nonsensical slurs, implied that one of the students were in a bad shape. Not saying another word, Iruka and Gin sprinted towards the hospital - it was the last place they could be,

Sure enough, both the students were in the ER, being dealt with. Naruto was sat on the visitor's chair beside the girl, who was pushed up onto her side while the nurses healed the wounds.

"What is that?" Naruto asked the two nurses, who followed the direction he was pointing in. In the middle of her stomach was a strange, circular seal with a mitsudomoe design in the middle. The sealing characters were printed all around the design that spanned several inches in diameter.

"It looks like a seal of some sort." Iruka murmured as he traced a finger across it. It was unlike any fuinjutsu he had ever seen - not that he had seen many in his career - and it felt hot to the touch. This was more than a typical seal. Why would it be right above the central chakra point?

Meanwhile, Gin made his way over to Akira's bedside and took her lifeless hand. The young girl was out cold and deathly pale in colour. "Would anyone know how to identify and remove the mark?" He asked, looking up to Iruka and the nurses, all of whom looked just as puzzled as each other. The elderly man's voice was quiet, a mixture of being calculated, concerned and… something else, although Iruka couldn't really ascertain what that was.

"Maybe." Iruka replied softly as he looked over at Naruto, who was just quietly sat in the chair, with an expression of regret plastered over his face. None of this was making any sense right now. Did Naruto know something? "I'll have to speak to Lord Third tomorrow. If he doesn't know something about this mark, he'll at least know someone who does."

"Is Akira in trouble?" Naruto's voice finally cracked as he looked up at the adults in the room. His face was set with worry.

"Why would she be in trouble?" Iruka asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "She told me not to take her to the hospital. She told me to just take her home." He explained with a shaky voice. Gin glanced over at the boy, and then to Iruka and the nurses who were still standing by the bed. His calmness surprised Iruka just a little. To learn that your granddaughter - or whoever she was to him - requested not to seek medical care was ringing alarm bells in Iruka, yet Gin seemed almost _fine_ about it. Not to mention the total disregard towards the seal on the girl!

"Akira's always hated people making a big deal about her." Gin explained, as he caught Iruka's confused stare. "Anyway, is there some way I can be of use, nurse?" He asked the two women who both shook their heads.

"She just needs rest now. She should be fine in a couple of days to continue her studies." One lady explained with a kind smile. "The wounds are healed, it's just a case of managing the pain once she wakes up in the morning."

"I see." Gin said thoughtfully, before turning to Naruto. "Thank you for bringing her here. I can take care of the rest. You best head back home and rest up for school tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Naruto nodded and patted Akira's arm before he stood up and made his way to his sensei.

"And Iruka-sensei, I'll find Lord Third tomorrow and see what can be done. Thank you for your help." Gin added with a smile, although iruka quickly caught onto the undertone of his words: _You can go now, too. _

"You're welcome Gin. Take care and keep me updated." The words came out slowly as Iruka's thoughts distracted him. "Naruto, I'll drop you home." He added as he gestured for the blonde to follow him out of the door.

Once the two had left, Gin took the blanket and covered Akira's shoulders once the nurses were done with their work. His expression was unreadable as he looked down upon the sleeping child. Then, with a slow sigh, he took the seat where Naruto had been beside her and leaned back, closing his eyes before falling asleep soon after.

* * *

Gin was woken up the next morning by something leaning into him. As he opened his eyes, he saw Akira's head resting on his shoulder. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as he stretched his arm around her and held her close. Akira mumbled and apology, although Gin just ignored it. In truth, he was simply relieved that she was awake and well.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly, looking up at the monitor to check her stats. Nothing seemed abnormal to him.

"Kinda the same as I look." Akira replied with a weak smile. Gin chuckled. No matter the state she was in, Akira always seemed to find the energy to be a little audacious.

"Watch that tongue." Gin warned, although his amused expression completely contradicted his scolding words. The man closed his eyes and suddenly just pulled Akira close to him, holding her tight as a single tear fell down his chin and onto her messy hair. He felt shame in allowing himself to shed even one tear, but how could he not? His child had been hurt and the guilt was overwhelming.

"It's really not that bad." Akira assured him, completely unaware of what was going on inside Gin's mind right then. It had only been a flesh wound and surely the life of a shinobi would be far more dangerous that what she had gone through?

A moment later and a nurse returned to check Akira's vitals. Gin quickly sat up and blinked any tears back. "Yes?" He asked, noticing that this nurse was fixated on something at the screen. Akira also sat up, diverting her attention quickly to the beeping machine beside her.

"Everything's fine. In fact… things are looking really fine." There was a definite element of surprise in the nurse's tone as she tapped the machine. "Everything seems to have stabled overnight. It's quite unusual - but a good thing!" She added quickly as she looked over at the pair and smiled. "We'll give you some medication for the pain and you can head out this afternoon."

Akira nodded with a wide smile and proceeded to sink into her bed. "Thank you." She whispered softly to the nurse, who simply waved her hand.

"It's my job." She replied with a light laugh before doing her final checks and heading to the door. "I'll get the paperwork so you can sign her out later."

Gin nodded and then turned to Akira. "Will you be okay for a while? I need to find the Lord Hokage and talk to him."

"Sure, sure. I won;t go anywhere." Akira grinned as she waved him off. The moment the sound of his footsteps had disappeared, Akira let out a little groan. Something inside her was feeling off. She felt nauseous and the pit of her stomach felt as though it was doing back flips for the Olympics. Akira rolled her hospital gown up a little and touched the source of discomfort before recoiling her hand instantly. It felt as though she was touching a red hot cattle iron or something. Something was definitely off - that area often felt warm after a sparring match or a scuffle, but never quite _this_ hot. Deciding it would sort itself out on its own, Akira tried to ignore it and pulled the hem of the gown back down before curling into a ball. _Mind over matter_, she told herself as she closed her eyes. It wasn't going to stop the room from spinning, but maybe she could just try and force herself asleep.

* * *

"Akira-chan!" The white-haired girl groaned as she opened her eyes. Naruto had made his presence quite clear and now her head was starting to spin on top of everything else.

"Don't you have class?" Akira whispered, as she turned over onto her back. It felt as though her abdomen was being ripped apart as she straightened her body out of the fetal position. It wasn't that she was displeased at seeing her classmate, but rather she was in so much pain that she couldn't muster up the energy to entertain anymore people.

"I wanted to stop by and see how you are, after last night's incident." Naruto replied cheerily at the sight of his friend now awake. He was completely ignorant of the shooting pain that she was currently experiencing as she forced a smile. Sometimes he really was far too innocent for his own good.

"Thank you." Akira said under her breath, trying not to let on that she was suffering too much. In an attempt to sell her story, she feigned a yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry I'm not much company… this has taken everything out of me, y'know?"

_Y'know? _ What was this? Had she really spent so much time with this kid that she was adopting his catchphrase? Akira let out an audible sigh as she sunk into her pillows.

Naruto grinned and sat at the foot of her bed. "I'm just really pleased you're okay. Are you coming out soon?"

"This afternoon, I hope."

"Cool, and will you be in class tomorrow then?" Naruto asked hopefully as he watched the girl nodded her head.

"That's the plan." After all he'd done for her, she hated that she was being so short with him, but her abdomen felt as though someone had dumped boiling oil or something all over her. She could almost feel the imaginary blisters forming and rupturing as she laid there. It was _agony._

"Great. I'll come see you t-"

"Please, Naruto…" Akira was literally pleading with the boy at this point. "Can you go? I really am just so tired…" She reached out and touched Naruto's arm softly, in an attempt to tell him it wasn't anything personal.

The disappointment in Naruto's face was hard to miss. "Oh… I'm sorry, Akira." He quickly jumped off of the bed and made his way towards the door. "Get well soon, okay?" With that, he smiled and grabbed a couple of flowers he'd picked from someplace nearby and set them on her table before making his way to class.

Naruto wasn't stupid. He could tell something was up and he really wanted to help. But what could he do? Akira really didn't seem to like people fussing over her. Hell, she didn't even want to go to the hospital when she was practically losing consciousness on the way there. Not to mention there was that mark on her stomach - what was that? It was similar in some aspects to the mark he had, except for the shape, the seal and, well, there actually wasn't much similarity at all other than the location. Perhaps he'd ask Iruka about it in class today. Then again, he figured that would probably draw _too_ much attention to Akira, who was clearly averse to any of that.

* * *

As the day droned on, Akira was trying to will the pain away so she could sleep. The pain medication was doing nothing for her as she pushed the self-administration button. _Why do they limit it so much?_ She huffed as she pushed the button a few more times until she'd confirmed that nothing was being released. _What was the point of "self administering" the medication if they capped it off at certain times?_ Feeling defeated once again, Akira stared upwards at the ceiling until she heard several sets of footsteps. _Grandpa?_ She slowly sat up, knowing for sure that one of those sounds belonged to Gin.

Sure enough, Gin appeared from the corner and called out to Akira that he was about to sign her out so they could head home. Akira grinned and allowed the nurse to help her up before passing her over some crutches while she was still a little wobbly on her feet. For a moment the pain was forgotten about as Akira looked forward to the familiar surroundings of home.

Of course, it was a very short-lived moment and the mark on her stomach soon started pulsing with a sharp stabbing pain once more.

For the rest of the day, Akira stayed in her room and relished in the peace and tranquility. There was no more beeping, no more nurses and no more wires tugging at her skin. Even her stomach didn't seem nearly as hot to the touch as before. It was slight, but any improvement was welcomed right now.

* * *

"Akira!"

She snapped her eyes open as she heard her name being called. It took her a minute to gather her bearings and realise that Gin was probably calling her down for breakfast. "Coming, Grandpa!" She called back as she swung her legs out of the bed and made her way briskly to the wardrobe where she felt for her Academy outfit. Today she was going for a white qipao top with dark purple trim and a pair of simple grey trousers. It wasn't too form fitting, so the bandages around her abdomen wouldn't show out too much - not that she could see for herself, of course.

Downstairs, Gin passed her a couple of slices of toast, which she gratefully took and wolfed down. "Naruto's just in the bar area." The old man informed Akira, who almost choked on the dry bread. "He offered to walk with you to class. Nice kid, that one. I have a really busy day, so it timed out quite well. I hope you don't mind?" Gin looked over at the young child, who quickly shook her head. She could hardly tell Gin that she wanted to walk to school alone - especially after what happened the other night.

"Good day, Grandpa," Akira smiled as she took her cane from the man who ruffled her hair with a smile.

"Good day, my child." He replied softly before showing her out into the tavern's bar area where Naruto was waiting.

Outside, Naruto was walking cheerfully alongside Akira, who was definitely a lot more subdued. "You look loads better, Akira." The blonde commented with a smile. He felt genuinely happy knowing that Akira was seemingly back to her old self - it also felt nice having a friend to walk to school with.

"I suppose I'll have to take your word on that one, huh?" Akira looked over at him with a half-smile. Her normally-bright eyes were dulled from exhaustion by this point - although, fortunately, Naruto didn't quite notice.

"What do you - oh, shi- I'm sorry!" He yelped, clapping his hands to his mouth in the sudden realisation of what he said. "I'm so sorry!" The panic in his eyes immediately vanished as Akira erupted into laughter. Confused, but not wanting to miss out, Naruto joined her and the pair seemed to laugh for a good while before Akira playfully punched his arm.

"Come on, Naruto… I've had twelve years to come to terms with this. You think _that_ was upset me?" The white haired girl smirked as she shoved her hands into her trouser pockets. It felt good to laugh a little, and Naruto seemed a lot less intrusive now that she was feeling better.

Naruto was silent as he watched her walk beside him with her cane now tucked under her armpit. It fascinated him how she could see so much, yet nothing at all at the same time. For him, she truly was inspiring - just as he, unknowingly, was for Akira.

As they arrived to class, Naruto took his seat beside Akira and waited for class to begin. This new year at school was really gonna be fun now he'd met Akira. He just _knew_ it

* * *

**So, I'm curious what you all think so far of the pair's friendship? Does it seem too OOC for Naruto? When writing these fics, I always fear that I'm messing something up with the canon.**

**Anyways, as always let me know your thoughts and I'll see you all in the next one!**


	4. Exam Day

In the Academy grounds, Akira took a seat on one of the swings. It was a warm morning, despite the sun only just rising above the sleepy village, and Akira was anxiously waiting for the rest of the students to arrive.

The first to arrive was Sasuke, a rather quiet individual with a skill that surpassed most of the other students in the class. The next best student was probably Shikamaru, not that he ever made a big deal over the fact. Then there was Sakura, who was probably on the same level as Akira when it came to theory. Of course, the one key difference was that Sakura had exceptional chakra control and could perform all the techniques that Akira simply couldn't - even a year on.

Still, Akira had found another talent: taijutsu mixed with shurikenjutsu. Whilst the rest of her peers were advancing in the realms of transformations, substitutions and other essential shinobi ninjutsu, Iruka had encouraged Akira to focus on what she was most competent in. It was clear that, despite her blindness, Akira could "see" just as well as her comrades, if not better in some cases. Her ability to distinguish the speed and distance of an attack was second to none and her sparring skills had improved tenfold.

After the Uchiha, followed several more students. None of them, she could tell, were Naruto. At least, if he was there, he was being heavily drowned out by the flock of girls who were all trying to catch the attention of the Uchiha. Akira could certainly get the appeal of the Uchiha - he was intelligent, skilled and abstained from all the classroom drama. Still, the raven never really gave her the time of day and only seemed annoyed during the taijutsu classes when she _actually_ excelled at something.

Akira remembered quite fondly, one instance where the two students were paired up for a sparring match. She enjoyed her match with Sasuke - he held nothing back. His need for superiority made him a ruthless opponent and that meant there'd be no easy match.

* * *

Standing at either end of the court, both students awaited Iruka's signal for them to begin. The moment the word was given, both students ran at each other, readying their fists. Punch after punch - and kick after kick - their practice over the months had left the pair evenly matched when it came to hand-to-hand combat. So, Sasuke wasted no time in getting down to the serious stuff.

As he jumped back, Sasuke launched a handful of shuriken in all directions near Akira, who swiftly evaded them as they landed on the ground before her. _Crap,_ she thought to herself as she quickly tried to evaluate the situation. Echo location was something she had mastered over the course of her short life, and it was far easier to avoid larger obstacles but something so small would be nigh on impossible.

Sasuke immediately took the opportunity to continue the stream of projectiles as he raced around the edge of the court. Akira backed up as she dodged each attack. She knew that Sasuke was trying to get her to trap herself between him and the field of embedded shuriken - and that simply wasn't going to happen. Short-range attacks were her speciality at the moment, anyway. She chased after him and closed the distance between the pair of them before grabbing her own kunai. Sasuke copied her and the pair threw themselves into a close combat mash of clashing blades.

Sasuke was fast, but Akira kept up with relative ease and followed suit with a second kunai. The pair were completely even in skill - but that simply wasn't good enough for the raven Uchiha. There was no way he'd be held to the same level as a blind student.

But Sasuke was starting to tire - and he couldn't tell if Akira was feeling the same. He needed to end this and now. The speed in which they were lashing out at each other was so great, but Sasuke caught the opportunity to use his next technique…

_Poof!_

Akira's knife stabbed into the bark of a log and turned her head just as Sasuke reappeared behind her and roundhouse kicked her far across the court. Now mid-air, Sasuke appeared above Akira and landed a punch, square in her stomach, sending her straight down into the field of stars.

She landed with a stifled cry as several of the stars embedded into her flesh. The Uchiha was standing before her, breathing heavily as he waited for her to get up. Just as Akira did stagger to her feet to continue, Iruka had called time on their match. There was no denying the disappointment on either of their faces - although both were definitely physically drained from that fight.

"Good fight," Akira said through a heavy sigh as she tried to recover her breathing pattern. The Uchiha just grunted as he walked past. He didn't want to admit it, but he had enjoyed that sparring session. It felt refreshing to have someone who could offer him a decent challenge.

Iruka offered a hand to Akira, who then made her way back to the group, ready to observe the next duel.

* * *

Akira's thoughts quickly turned back to the present day as she smelled a familiar earthy scent of the outdoors and cup ramen. She grinned and got to her feet when she heard the voice of Naruto and waved him over. The boy transitioned to a run as he caught up and the pair made their way quickly to the classroom.

"Right, everyone wait to be called out to the other room where you'll be performing the clone jutsu!" Iruka announced and Akira felt the air beside her suddenly grow heavy as Naruto sunk deeper into his seat. She couldn't deny her disappointment either, as she really hadn't grasped the concept of ninjutsu. Her chakra control, even with Iruka's assistance, was non-existent. She could barely complete a transformation, let alone two clones of herself! Feeling pretty disheartened, Akira rested her head in her folded arms on the table and stared ahead as Iruka left with Mizuki.

"Good luck." Naruto whispered as his friend's name was called out just an hour later. He could sense the unease in Akira's body language as she got to her feet.

Knowing this would be the last they saw of each other until the end of the day, Akira nodded her head. "Good luck, Naruto."

Akira followed the chunin who'd come to fetch her. Her knuckles were paling as her grip on the cane tightened. She was anxious and felt her stomach flip in all directions as she walked.

Suddenly, Akira broke free from the chunin's grasp and made a run for the exit. Her nerves had gotten the best of her and she had to get away. The chunin simply watched with a sigh and went to inform the examiners what had just happened.

Meanwhile, Akira ran straight out of the front doors of the Academy and —

_THUD!_

"I'm so sorry!" Akira bellowed as she bowed her head down to her knees. "I didn't check where I was—"

"Hotaru Akira? Shouldn't you be in class?" Akira recognised that deep voice instantly.

"Itsuki-sensei?" She lifted her head in surprise. The simple sound of his cold voice shot a shiver down Akira's spine.

The man paused a moment. "It's the day of the exams… have you… no, you've not taken them yet." His tone was thoughtful, before he let out a scoff. "After everything last year, you're running away?" _Pathetic_, he was likely thinking to himself, Akira sighed.

"What's the point?" It surprised the pair of them that Akira was somewhat opening up to Itsuki - a man who, for as long as she'd been a student, had mocked and ridiculed her lack of talent. Ever since she'd joined the Academy, Itsuki just seemed to produce obstacle after impossible obstacle for her to futilely try to overcome.

"You're right." Itsuki shrugged a shoulder dismissively. "Why even bother? It's not like you're going to pass anyway, is it?" Akira could tell he was baiting her for a reaction now.

She wasn't going to bite.

"Do you know why I let Iruka take you on, Akira?" Itsuki soon changed his tactics, not even waiting for a response. "Because I was nominated by several of my colleagues to be put forward for the jounin exam. I wasn't going to be your teacher this year regardless and I wasn't going to let some newly qualified kid take you on. Not when there's still so much more to uncover. I thought, just maybe, Iruka-sensei would succeed where time was stopping me."

Confused by this sudden change of direction, Akira frowned. "You could have had all the time in the world. I wasn't getting anywhere in your class. You hated me. You deliberately made my life harder than anyone else!"

Itsuki smirked as he shifted his weight back to his heels. "Now, we're diverting from the real issue here. You're no longerin my class, yet this is the first time you've _ever _run out of an exam." The man raked his fingers through his dark brown hair thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Clearly I was wrong about that Iruka-sensei. And I was wrong about you. I expected much more from you this year."

Akira shot him a doubtful look.

Itsuki leaned down to the girl's level. "Like a said, you'd never run from an exam when I taught you. You say you got nowhere with me? You're wrong. You _fought_ when I taught you. You _never_ gave up on yourself. You did _everything_ you could to prove me wrong. Now where is that person?!" Itsuki wasn't far from shouting at her at this point. "Just look at yourself, now. You. Are. Weak." He waved both hands at her, as if showcasing his point.

His words cut deep like shards of glass and Akira clenched both of her fists tightly to contain her fury. She _knew_ he was purposefully trying to rile her up and—

"I can't believe I actually wasted my time on you."

It was working…

"Shut up!" Akira screamed, surprising both of them as she launched a fast punch right at his face. Of course, Itsuki caught it. He gripped onto her fist tightly and smirked.

"Prove me wrong then, Akira." His taunting voice whipped up a fervent storm within Akira as she yanked her hand back. "By what? Going and taking that exam again?"

"By fighting me." Itsuki laughed, as he took a couple of steps back. "Let me see how far you've come."

Akira froze, highly doubtful that this man was serious._ What was his gain here?_ She wondered as she backed up a little, considering just returning to class and getting away from this guy. That was, until Itsuki grabbed a couple of kunai from his pouch. He was serious about his suggestion.

"Come find me." Itsuki challenged, before he vanished in a cloud of smoke, but not before tossing her a couple of the knives he had retrieved from his pocket. .

"A clone?" Akira murmured to herself before crouching down and grabbing the kunai. As she straightened herself up, she looked all around her for any sense that the real Itsuki was just nearby, but the grounds were completely void of life.

Holding the kunai close to her chest, Akira thought over her options. Should she go? But then what could that possibly achieve?

_Then again, _ Akira thought as she turned to the Academy, her alternative wasn't showing much hope either.

Truly, in this moment, Akira felt as though she was caught between two rocks. Neither offering her a hope of success. If she took the exam, she'd fail. But if she challenged her teacher, she could be removed from the programme completely.

Her decision made no sense to her, but something inside her was urging her to challenge Itsuki. Really, what did she have to lose?

* * *

**This was all changed at the last minute, actually. The way it ended wasn't going to be with Itsuki, at all, so let me know what you think with a favourite, a follow and a review!**


	5. The Last Fight

**A/N: Early chapter release as I may not be able to submit this weekend due to being away and this story taking a completely different turn than anticipated before. So, the future chapter have all been scrapped in favour of this revised edition. Still not sure where I want to take it, so I'm always up for opinions and ideas!**

* * *

"So you decided to show?" Itsuki stifled the surprise in his voice as Akira emerged from the treeline. Staring at his unresponsive former student, Itsuki continued, "I'm pleased to see you, Akira." He almost sounded genuine, but Akira knew better than to lower her guard as she walked into the clearing towards him.

"I have a team, now." Itsuki stated, matter-of-factly, with his hands placed upon his hips. Akira kept quiet still, as if prompting him to get to the point of it all. "We went out on a mission to escort one of the noble Lords of the Land of Fire. We were told it'd be a C-rank mission - chosen for us based upon the genin's skill - but…" Itsuki's voice dropped suddenly, becoming much darker and sombre as he finished the story. "We were ambushed by a group who'd been targeting the Lord. My student, Riko, was killed trying to protect our client. Ever since, Lord Hokage has been trying to fill the gap in our team. I failed each prospective student. They were exceptional kids, derived from powerful clans with powers some could only dream of."

"So why did you fail them from your team?" Akira's curiosity soon got the better of her, as she tilted her head in confusion. _Furthermore, why was he even telling her all of this?_

"They lacked the will, the drive… they were gifted from the start. Life had been handed to them on a platter and they were complacent." There was no emotion in his voice as he spoke - it was all business to him. "So, Lord Hokage dismissed us from missions until I found the fourth member of my cell and _that's_ why I came to the Academy. I was intrigued to see the next generation of shinobi." _I was intrigued to see how far you'd come._

"So, why not choose a student who passed the exam?" Akira countered, crossing her arms across her chest.

Ignoring the point of her question, Itsuki just smirked and walked across to stand directly in front of her, just a couple of paces away. _Why did he choose her?_ He knew was the question she wanted the answer to. "That test is nothing short of a sham. _This_ is the real test of the graduates. _This _is where their futures are determined." Itsuki stated simply, watching the unwavering expression on her face as he held his arms out to demonstrate that the real world was what counted in the making of a ninja. "Answering questions and performing a basic transformation mean nothing. They graduate on to us, their teachers, so we can weed them apart from the weak and worthless. Over half return to the Academy or drop out of the programme altogether."

"So, to answer your question - your real question - I wanted to remove you from the programme, once and for all."

The look on the face of the girl changed at once. Flushed with frustration, she suddenly paled once it all made sense. He never wanted to see how she'd progressed; he just wanted to beat her so she'd leave the shinobi programme altogether.

"Now that you're here," Itsuki continued with a menacing grin on his face, "there's only one way this can end, regardless of the path you take now. Fight me and lose, or leave and abandon your resolve of being a kunoichi. Either way, your career finishes here."

Akira was trembling with frustration at this moment. _How could she have fallen for this? He never wanted her in his class, let alone in the Academy. She was such a fool to even think he would offer her a chance…_

"Come on then, let's go!" Akira leapt back and grabbed a kunai from her pocket. If she only had one way out, she was going to fight until her last breath and not a moment before. There was no chance he would get the satisfaction of seeing her back down, humiliated.

"Hm," Itsuki lifted his eyebrows and the tiniest flicker of a smile flashed upon his mouth as he readied himself as well.

Akira wasn't reckless enough to make the first move, so Itsuki launched into a frontal attack with a kunai brandished in both hands.

The jonin was fast, unrelenting in his attack. Akira waited until the last moment before leaning her body to the side and stabbing him.

_Poof!_

Itsuki's body was replaced with a log. It was stuck deep and Akira didn't have the time to relinquish it before she felt her teacher's aura once again.

In that instant, she let go and blocked an attack from behind. Her hand gripped onto his wrist to stop him from swiping at her again, but Itsuki snatched her arm and tossed her above his head. With his free hand, while she was exposed in mid-air, he slashed at her stomach with the kunai.

Blood spilled out and pooled on the floor by his feet as she fell to the ground.

Akira spewed out a stream of dark claret fluid as she got back to her feet. Her whole body was numb with pain, but she was determined to carry on - even if her body was begging her to reconsider.

Aware that her offence was now strictly limited, Akira launched a handful of shuriken at Itsuki, who, again, replaced himself with a log. This was easy for him and if all she could muster up was basic weapon throwing, then the match would be short-lived.

Akira sensed his aura reappear up above her and she leapt up high. Her blades clashed with his numerous times. One strike. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. The pair mercilessly attacked each other with the kunai. Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty, The young girl's speed surprised him. She was losing blood at such a rate that he wasn't even sure how she was still carrying on. Forty-five. Forty-six. Their speed was surprisingly even, despite her worsening condition.

Suddenly, Akira's pace jolted and she made a strike for his face. Instinctively, Itsuki went to block and Akira launched a kick square in his gut, knocking him away from her.

The pair landed, with Akira looking paler as her body was losing blood. Her lilac clothes were stained with a deep claret colour that starkly contrasted her porcelain complexion.

_This is it,_ Itsuki thought to himself as he ran at her. Darting from side to side, the jonin thrust kunai at her. He could only watch in amazement as the girl sensed where each one was coming from and deftly handled each oncoming attack.

Then, she lowered her body and sprinted at him at such a speed it took Itsuki aback. Akira then proceeded to launch a rapid-fire ten-hit combo with her fists. Had the girl been at full capacity, Itsuki wondered if he would have so easily evaded her attack.

Nonetheless, Itsuki responded quickly and sent her back once again.

Her stamina in the field was astounding, but Itsuki wasn't about to dwell on her taijutsu skill now. Instead, he clapped both hands together and formed several signs. This was to finish now.

"Fire Style: Human Bomb Clone!" He roared as three doppelgangers appeared by his side. They assumed a formation around the girl before launching into a tirade of physical attacks, channeling their chakra straight into the palms of their hands.

Akira closed her eyes and focused her energy to locate each aura as they came at her and she moved her body, almost like a ballet dance, to evade each stream of attacks.

As two of the clones came at her, Akira ducked and bolted to one side. The clones collided with such a force that they self-destructed, creating a shockwave that covered the grounds.

Akira was sent flying into the air, helpless as the last clone followed her with a vortex of intense flames that fully engulfed her before the clone also exploded.

Like a ragdoll, Akira dropped to the ground.

Once the dust has settled, Itsuki walked over to get a closer look. His knees were trembling from the extreme amount of chakra he had spent with his attacks. _Surely, this had to be the end of it. _

As he examined her body closer, he caught a glimpse of that seal. The circular outline was glowing fiercely through the fabric. But before he could get any closer, Akira's eyes snapped open.

"What the- how?" Itsuki gasped, as he jumped back out of her range. He could only watch in amazement as Akira staggered weakly to her feet. Her body was barely able to hold itself up and she was swaying back and forth with the slightest of breezes.

_Astonishing,_ Itsuki thought to himself as he backed up and watched. Just by the looks of her, he could see she was completely out of energy. There was nothing left in her but the sheer will to keep standing. _How is she even able to keep going? Could it be that seal? _

Before he contemplate any further, Akira made a run straight at him. Her movements were sloppy and uncoordinated.

"Stop!" He shouted, his voice almost pleading with her. This wasn't what he had anticipated

But he didn't have to. Before she made it an arm's length, Akira collapsed at his feet. Her right arm was outstretched in the form of a fist as she laid there, face-down in the grass.

With the sun starting its descent, Itsuki acted fast and rolled the young girl onto her back, exposing the gaping wounds that he swiftly dealt with. A light green chakra enveloped her torso as he healed up the wounds, although his mind was fixed on the seal.

As soon as the stab wound was closed, Itsuki traced his thoughts back to his reading. The seal was familiar. Some time ago, he had read about it in a scroll, but what was it?

It then struck him: the seal was from a forbidden sealing technique. Not a mark of the rogue sannin, Orochimaru, though. No, something like this was a specialised technique derived from a unique source of chakra. Itsuki quickly conjured up a string of hand signs before placing both hands on the girl's abdomen.

The moment his hand touched her skin however, a shooting bolt of pain charged up his spine, knocking him several feet back. Itsuki let out a quiet groan as he remained on the ground, completely winded. Whoever had placed this seal didn't want it removed, that was for sure. But he _needed_ to release this. Whatever it was was blocking her central chakra point.

Itsuki had just enough energy to try once more. This time, he decided it was time to utilise his kekkei-genkai: Glass Release.

With a few signs. Itsuki conjured up a dozen thin, glass spears, and sent them down into the lifeless girl's body. Each one punctured one of the main chakra points in her arms, legs and torso. They glowed brightly as that energy from before was absorbed into the spears. He didn't have much time though - the glass harpoons were nearing breaking point.

_This is it,_ he thought to himself, almost as though he had come to terms with his fate.

_Perhaps Iruka's way was the right way, after all. _

Itsuki smiled to himself.

_You've truly grown into an exceptional shinobi, this year, Akira. _

The jonin closed his pale green eyes, as he felt a warm tear wet his cheeks.

_And you will become a fine kunoichi..._

Summoning the last of his chakra reserve into his palms once again, Itsuki readied himself to finish what he had set out to complete.

_So, allow me to set you free from this prison…_

His fingers danced, forming the required signs.

_I'm sorry._

Itsuki's eyes opened at last, reflecting a man who had finally found peace within himself.

_I hope you can forgive me, some day, _

"Seal release!" Itsuki shouted and slammed both hands firmly down onto her abdomen. A cloak of bright white-almost-purple chakra suddenly engulfed the girl, whose entire body convulsed violently on the ground. Itsuki was sent flying into the air, knocked unconscious by the energy wave before his body even left the ground.

Then with a terrible sound, almost sufficient enough to confirm the passing of his life, the back of Itsuki's head came thundering down upon a large boulder. In the very same moment, the chakra dissipated and the air finally stilled around them.

It wasn't for another hour when someone finally arrived to the training grounds. Gin slowly emerged from the forest, scrunching his nose at the wretched stench of scorched flesh hit his nostrils. Then, his eyes caught a glimpse of two still bodies in the distance.

* * *

**So,that wasn't the ending I had in mind originally. Still, I think it's worked out okay? Still not sure if I want Itsuki dead or not... I kinda like him and where his character was going. But.. maybe there'll be a really exceptional medic-nin in the next chapter aha. **

**Also, so you all know, this event is running parallel with Naruto's fight against Mizuki. **

**Don't forget to leave a review, follow and fave! I'll see you all in the next one (maybe this weekend, maybe next weekend!)**


	6. Reality

When Akira woke up, she had no idea where she was, nor how much time had passed. She was alone in a room with an all too familiar sound echoed around her. Machines with various purposes whirred and beeped around her. Her head was spinning. Everything in that moment of waking seemed amplified to the highest degree and it was making her nauseous.

The air was hot and heavy around her, making it even harder to string together a coherent thought. She could taste salt and soon realised that it was coming from the beads of sweat that raced down her forehead. Everything was feeling sticky, and the bed sheets peeled off her hospital gown like cling film.

_Just how long have I been like this?_ She wondered to herself, before the sound of footsteps was heard outside.

"You're awake." It was one of the medics, and she sounded almost surprised.

"I'm soaked." Akira stated simply, with a slight croak in her voice. It was clear she'd been asleep for some time.

"You've been burning up ever since you were brought in." The woman explained, as she dumped a pile of linen on the chair beside the bed. Clearly, this was a regular part of their daily routine with her. "We've been using ice cooling packs and cold cloths to try and keep your body temperature down, but your body's fighting off… something."

"Something?" Akira repeated with a quizzical expression. For a moment, she doubted this woman's credentials. How could she be a medic and not know what was going on? "And how long has it been?" There was so many questions rushing through her head that she knew she needed to calm herself down, then focus, before she actually was sick.

There was a pause as the woman placed a hand behind her neck and guided her into a sitting position so she could remove the gown. "We don't know."

Akira hoped she'd feel some sort of relief with the gown stripped from her body. Instead, she just felt the warm breeze mix with the salty residue that clad her tired body. She felt disgusting.

"We think your body's fighting itself." The nurse continued as she wrung out an icy flannel and pressed it tenderly upon her back. Akira shivered, but was simply glad to feel some element of relief from the hot, syrupy sensation that clung onto her body. "Your chakra reserve was blocked for sometime and when it was released, your body couldn't handle it." The nurse's touch was soft, but purposeful, as she continued rinsing the cloth in the cold water and patting it down the girl's back. "Imagine a dam being destroyed. All that water that it held back gets unleashed at a sudden, unmanageable rate… it just floods everything. That's what we believe happened here."

Akira simply listened, trying to make sense of all of this. "You must be mistaken. I don't have any chakra reserves, or whatever you call it. I've never been able to use ninjutsu. At least not for as long as I can remember."

There came no reply as the nurse shrugged her shoulders and positioned Akira so she could reach her front.

"I really think you're wrong, here." Akira insisted. Her face set in a frown.

"Maybe. But it's definitely nothing bacterial, viral or fungal giving you this fever. The medication would have worked. So, we know it's not even a fever. But your body had been giving off this weird energy since you came in. In fact, nobody could even touch you when you first got here."

"What do you mean?"

"Whatever this is, it was so strong that your body was literally glowing. The chakra… or whatever it was… was so strong we could actually see it. It was like fire to touch."

Akira felt cold hands steer her off the bed and then a soft cotton towel was draped around her shoulders.

"And now?" Akira asked. She still didn't feel right, but she didn't feel like she was on _fire_ or anything like that.

"Well, your body's still above normal temperature but, like I said, you're awake now, and that can only mean your body's sorting itself out. The chakra has at least subsided and it's not visible." Came the nurse's distracted reply as she went about changing the sheets and covers and replacing them when the fresh linens.

"Will I be discharged soon?" Akira asked, hopeful that it wouldn't be much longer.

"As soon as your stats return to normal, you can rejoin your cell." The nurse finished tidying up the bed corners before changing Akira into a fresh gown. "I would imagine you'll be back to normal in a few days. You've been making quick progress."

"My cell? You mean the Academy, right?" Akira furrowed her brows as she was directed back into the bed.

"I'm sorry?" Now was the nurse's turn to be confused. "I assumed by your headband you had a team. A man stopped by and dropped it off at the start of the week."

_Headband? What was she talking about? _And as if the woman beside her could hear her thoughts, she passed Akira the forehead protector that had been neatly placed on her bedside table.

"What did he look like? Where's Itsuki-sensei?" Her fingers traced the engraved symbol on the metal plate as her memory of that evening flooded back. Most of their fight was a blur, but she remembered how numb she was at the end, as she ran at him. But that was it. Everything from that point was a blackout of nothingness. "Is he okay?" Her voice was urgent as she rattled her mind to fill in the blank space that was the fight's final seconds.

"The man? Well, he was wearing a cloak... tall… dark-haired… walked with a limp… actually, he looked really rough but was gone no sooner than he arrived. Just came in to give it to you and left before anyone could stop him. He didn't seem like the most personable of people" She shrugged. "And as for this Itsuki person, I'm afraid I don't know who that is." The nurse replied apologetically as she tossed the damp laundry into a basket by the door, ready to take out when she left. Her life was this hospital and aside from the regulars who ended up here, she didn't have time to remember any names

Akira held the cloth to her face. She knew without a doubt that this was his, so he _had_ to have been the man who gave it to her… right? But then why did he not stay? And why did he go before anyone knew who he was?

"He was with me at the training ground. I think he gave me this protector." Akira recalled as she laid the headband in her lap, feeling frustrated with the nurse's ignorance. "He must have brought me in, as well." She added, creating a narrative all of her own inside her head.

"A four-man team brought you and another man in here." The nurse corrected, as she contemplated the rest of what Akira had revealed. "But that man wasn't alive when he got here." Just then, the nurse fell silent as she caught the girl's horrified expression. Everything and nothing was making sense now.

The air around them stilled and Akira felt the pull of a strong gravity constricting her chest. She couldn't breathe. Itsuki was dead. He was actually dead. And it was because of her.

"Where is he?" Was all Akira could manage. They had to have kept the body in the hospital for a post-mortem, surely? Or at least until it as claimed by Itsuki's family…

Did Itsuki even _have_ any family?

Akira knew very little about the man who taught her at the Academy for her first three years. But she knew he lived alone. He didn't have a partner, or a close family. The man had few close connections with his colleagues and seemed to be more bothered by them than anything else. There was no doubt in her mind, that the man felt he was clearly superior to his peers.

For so long, Akira had hated the man who taught her. She despised the way he ridiculed and provoked her for being less of a kunoichi than her classmates. No matter how hard she pushed herself, or how much she advanced, nothing was ever good enough for Itsuki. He wanted more.

And still she couldn't understand why Itsuki pushed her so hard. She didn't realise the potential that Itsuki saw inside her was his motivation to push her harder. In her mind, it was only natural for her to "see" her opponent's location, their attacks, and be able to react accordingly. Little did she understand that her talent was far from common amongst other shinobi, even those with perfect vision. So, Itsuki never praised her for her ability to evade and counter her opponents in sparring sessions. Akira was a natural sensor type, but knew she had many limitations with her skill- her ninjutsu being the key hindrance to her success. So, he pushed her. He pushed and pushed until she was at breaking point. And then he'd break her so she would build herself back up.

He didn't believe in holding his students hands. He believed in the grim reality that was a shinobi's life. Hand outs simply didn't exist.

Itsuki had grown up in a world ravaged by war. He had seen first hand the consequences of weak shinobi, who crippled the village's strength on the battle ground. So, when Itsuki was reposted to the Academy after the war, he took the position with a resolute mission to mold the next generation into single-minded fighters. They would graduate a reflection of his own self.

There was no disputing that his methods were unorthodox - but they worked. By setting the bar high enough that his students could hope to reach it, but not so high for them to ever _actually _meet or exceed his expectations, Itsuki had produced a classes of determined, single-visioned students who lived to better themselves in order to protect and serve their village.

But this was a man who shared nothing - so Akira would never know his reasoning behind the games he seemed to play with her. Yet, her feelings towards the man confused her now. She felt sadness in her stomach, and a lump in her throat that she feared would crack into a stream of sobs for the man who was dead.

_A shinobi must never show their tears._

_A shinobi must never show their weakness. _

Itsuki's words echoed still inside her head and that was enough to keep her expression detached from the guilt and the anguish that throbbed within.

"Would you like me to take you to him?" The nurse asked as she offered the girl a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Akira was still, and simply replied that she would.

Silently, the nurse obliged and handed a set of crutches to Akira and helped her out of the bed and into a wheelchair, for easy maneuvering. The crutches were laid over her thighs, with the forehead protector rested underneath as they made their way down the corridor and the top of the stairwell that would lead them to the morgue.

From that point, Akira used her crutches. Only for a moment did she wonder why they wasted the use of the wheelchair to still end up relying on crutches for the flight of stairs.

"He's just through here." The nurse whispered softly as she pushed open the door.

In that moment, time stopped.

The air suddenly felt cold and so heavy that she fell to her clutched at the collar of her gown, as if an attempt to allow more oxygen into her lungs.

It was true.

He was dead.

And nothing made sense anymore.

Because she _knew_ that he was the man who gave her this forehead protector. There simply wasn't a shred of doubt about it… except, Itsuki _was _on the table. And his body _was_ cold, void of life.

_No, no, no, no, no… He wasn't dead. He had to be alive…_

He just _had _ to…

* * *

Days later, the village was filled with silence as if life itself had been suspended.

Outside, the skies were grey and heavy with rain that threatened to fall upon the sombre crowd who'd gathered in the cemetery that morning.

The small affair was led Hiruzen who, once the coffin had been lowered into the ground, spoke a few words to the gathering of shinobi and villagers alike. There weren't many people in attendance - after all, he didn't have many close friends. But his colleagues attended out of respect.

Hiruzen's gentle gaze fell upon the child in the front row, who had her eyes cast down to the ground. In her palms, she held the forehead protector tightly and the Hokage wondered what she was thinking about.

The old man's stare then met Gin's who was stood squarely beside the young girl. His expression was reticent, never faltering, and that shot a shiver down the Hokage's spine. The contrast of true sorrow and rehearsed composure intrigued Hiruzen, but he buried his thoughts swiftly before resuming his speech.

His words were kind, respectful and Akira couldn't help but wonder if any of these people truly knew this man, or if she was the only one who never got a chance to see this selfless, altruistic side. She supposed she would never know.

As the ceremony came to a close, Akira and many others thanked the Lord Hokage for his sensitive words and bid him a good day - or as good a day as was possible with the nature of the gathering. She then excused herself from Gin and made her way alone to the village, heading straight for the training grounds. Their relationship as of late had become much less familiar, and there was a coldness in Gin since she had been admitted to the hospital again. Akira did her best to pretend it didn't bother her, but that was just a dirty lie. She could understand his concern of her wellbeing, but not his reaction to the events that led up to now. Still, she had something else on her mind that distracted her from her unease relating to that matter.

Standing beside the river, Akira fastened the protector across her forehead and held her hands out. She felt a new wave of energy flow through her. Her chakra was settling down and she could feel it as she focused it to the tips of her fingers. It felt like paresthesia: the unbidden, uncomfortable tingling sensation that washed down her arm and lingered around her fingertips.

Nothing made any sense, but she felt in her gut that Itsuki had some degree of responsibility to this change in her.

It felt weird. But she decided that she might use this time to practice the most basic of techniques: the basic doppelganger jutsu. With her hands clasped together, she created the first hand sign, then the second and then the final sign. But no sooner had she completed the sequence, a surge of energy exploded through her body and launched her several feet in the air.

"It seems you could do with some help." A soft voice appeared behind her when she landed. Akira recognised it immediately as the Third Hokage. Beside him, she could feel another presence. The other man's aura seemed nonthreatening and a little _too_ laid back. "This is Hatake Kakashi."

"Hotaru Akira." She introduced quickly, feeling more embarrassed that someone had seen her fall.

"Nice to meet you."

"And you," Akira responded to the jonin, Kakashi, whose tone seemed like he'd been really hoping for an early night or something. She wondered if this was some inconvenience to him.

"Kakashi is one of our finest shinobi and I want to assign you to his team. You should know the other students under his tutelage." Hiruzen spoke before taking a puff from his pipe. "Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Akira's eyes widened ever so slightly. Guilt wrapped itself around her heart as she realised this was the first time that she even thought about Naruto. She had been so wrapped up in her own life that she didn't even consider whether Naruto had passed his exams or not, or how he was filling his time. The two had been nearly inseparable since their friendship began in Iruka's class and yet the thought of him hadn't even flickered in her mind.

"I'd like you to meet us tomorrow morning, here, at dawn." Kakashi stated simply. He didn't feel like he could be a natural teacher, but Hiruzen had picked the genin specifically for him and Kakashi simply couldn't refuse him. In a way, this was like a mission. A mission that would undoubtedly test every aspect of his being. "Oh, and don't have anything for breakfast."

Akira could only nod. The way he added that final order aroused suspicion within her, but not enough for her to question it. If she was honest with herself, she was still feeling dazed and distracted after everything that had happened today. After what seemed like an impossible reality, Akira had finally come to accept that Itsuki was gone and that alone stirred insider her a mixture of conflicting emotions.

She resented him for the years he put her down while she studied under him.

He was cruel in his teaching, harsh in his marking…

And yet, without him, her fate would have been tied back to the Academy.

As his parting gift, for reasons she could never come to understand, Itsuki had entrusted Akira with his forehead protector. It was an item awarded only to those who had proved themselves as capable shinobi and stayed with them as a symbol of their loyalty and dedication to their village. But this headband represented every hardship Itsuki had survived, from the slaughtering of his kin, to the brutality of war. It represented his survival and will to fight on.

In that moment, Akira had become a shinobi. In her acceptance of the responsibility she was about to embrace, and the legacy of her former sensei's that she was about to carry forward, within Akira there was an ambience that reflected someone whose resolve was true and whose maturity far exceeded her actual age.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Thank you." Akira bowed her head respectfully at the jonin before her. Not another word was uttered between them as Kakashi took his leave with the Hokage by his side.

A bittersweet excitement welled up within Akira's heart as she waited in the stillness of the glade for their auras to disappear from her sight. With Itsuki's unspoken approval, her career as a shinobi was about to truly begin.

* * *

**Curious to hear what you think about the characters so far, especially Gin and Itsuki? Next time we're starting Akira's shinobi journey with Team 7 at least! It'll follow from the bell test and we can finally get on with the series! Next chapter to be updated either midweek or Saturday depending on how much people like it.**

**Thank you to all those who have favourited and followed this story, as well as those who have reviewed. Everything is greatly appreciated!**


	7. Bell Test and Betrayal

Ever since she had been discharged from hospital, her relationship with Gin felt strained. Even this morning, her grandpa had barely uttered a single word to her at the dining table. As promised the night before, Akira forwent her breakfast, albeit reluctantly, and bid the man a good day. She wondered for a moment if he was more displeased that she had broken their established tradition of having a special meal on the day of a big event. However, his general lack of conversation led her to believe it was something else.

With a quick, formal peck on her forehead, Gin opened the door wide for her and passed the girl her cane. "Good luck for today. Let me know how it goes later." It was the most he'd spoken all morning.

"Thank you, grandpa. I will."

* * *

Akira was the first to arrive at the training grounds that morning. Her eyes were cast downwards as she walked, leaving her mind open to a string of unfavourable thoughts. Inside her head was a conflict between her wavering relationship with Gin and her compelling need to investigate further what had happened in the hospital. But Gin didn't seem to like talking about it. He still felt angry at her for not skipping the exams and not coming home at the agreed time.

At least, that's what she believed to be the cause of his irritable nature as of late.

Finally the other three genin showed up, one by one, and Akira instantly felt drawn to Naruto's presence.

"Akira? You're here?" The blonde cocked his head to one side before making a beeline towards her. "You passed then! I heard you were in hospital, but I wasn't allowed to see you…" His voice trailed off, his tone sounding suddenly more disheartened that he couldn't be there to support her.

Just before Akira could open her mouth, she was cut off by Sakura. "You bailed from the exams, how did you pass?" Akira could feel a finger being pointed, accusingly, in her direction.

"I… retook the exams." Akira said slowly, as if giving herself a little extra time to conjure up something half-believable.

Sasuke scoffed.

Akira ignored him. Lying about her graduation was a lot easier than explaining to them all that she was challenged by her old Academy teacher, lost the match, lost her teacher, woke up with this forehead protector - which she had adorned her head with to match the two male genin - and, to ice the cake, she now had a power within her that was far beyond her control.

"So, yeah." Akira hummed, just to fill the silence from the cynical genin around her. "It's a long story."

Sakura seemed to accept it up until Sasuke rolled his eyes and muttered something about her being given a free pass because of her disability. His words were truly scornful. He simply couldn't understand why people like her and Naruto - two failures - ever advanced to this level when there were students like him, who actually worked hard for their success.

"You don't belong here. Neither of you." Sasuke turned his nose and walked off a few feet, wishing that Kakashi would hurry up and get here. Sakura's eyes followed Sasuke as he repositioned himself away from his team. And within a second, the rest of the pinkette went after the boy, almost like a puppy with its master.

"So, what happened?" Akira turned her attention to Naruto, snapping him out of the dark place he was about to fall victim to. "Ignore him." She nodded to the area where Sasuke was, as if reading her friend's thoughts.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, not understanding what she meant by her question.

"You passed. How did the exam go?" Akira elaborated. There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in her tone - and Naruto realised quickly that she must not have heard what had happened. The events of that night with Mizuki and Iruka were recounted quickly by Naruto, who was oblivious to his friend's startled expression.

"... And then we went out for ramen." Naruto ended the story with a wide grin, and his excitement radiated from his body, enveloping Akira with a warm feeling of pride. She was truly happy for him, so she smiled brightly once his story was finished.

"That's… really great, Naruto."

"So, what about you?" Naruto countered with a wide grin that reached both of his ears. He was so excited to hear her story that he didn't notice her smile quiver.

"Like I said, it's kind of complicated." She shrugged apologetically and, at last, strengthened her smile. Naruto then noticed how it made the corners of her lips move down, but left untouched the troubled expression in her stormy-grey eyes. "Itsuki offered me another test. I passed" The young girl could feel his name get caught in her throat as she tried to offer her friend some further clarification. _I'm sorry_, she thought at Naruto, in hopes he could forgive her coldness. It wasn't her intention to railroad their conversation - especially as it had been too long since their last proper encounter.

As if he understood, Naruto congratulated his friend with a natural enthusiasm that could dissipate even the most serious of moments.

Several hours passed before a lazy voice broke the silence. "Good morning, everyone."

Everyone shot up from where they had been sitting and pointed at the man accusatively for his lateness. "I'm sorry, a black cat had crossed my path, so I had to take the long way."

Akira couldn't be sure what her peers were thinking, but she certainly was doubting this jonin's experience. The fact that the Hokage had hand-picked him to lead a team of genin also made the girl wonder if the old man himself was even in his right mind.

"I expect you've all acquainted - and reacquainted - yourselves." His tone gave away his complete lack of care on the subject. "So, shall we get started?"

Kakashi then placed a clock on top of one of three tree stumps in the ground. "It's set for noon. You have until then to get two bells." He instructed, jingling the bells as if to further demonstrate the point of this exercise. "Oh, and for the two of you who fail to o retrieve one of these bells will go without lunch as punishment for failing the mission."

Everything made sense now. They were forbidden to have anything that morning in order to motivate them to fight for those bells.

No sooner had he explained the rules, Naruto launched at the silver-haired jonin with a kunai in his hand. The boy barely made it within a few feet of the man before he countered. Akira noted just how fast this man was. He was definitely faster than Itsuki.

The thought of her former sensei formed another lump in her throat.

At the man's cue, the three genin disappeared into hiding.

Except Naruto.

The kid challenged his sensei to a fight, to which the jonin responded by retrieving his book from his pocket. Akira obviously couldn't see what book it was, but the unmistakable turn of a page painted the scene perfectly for her to observe. This man simply couldn't care less. She could hear Naruto throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at the man, who didn't even utter a grunt.

In the next moment, Kakashi appeared behind the blonde boy, shouting "A thousand years of death!"

What followed was a long wail as Naruto was launched several metres into the air.

While the other two genin could barely believe the man's immaturity, Akira could only observe in total silence. Kakashi's inability to take this exercise seriously only proved to her that he was far more capable than he was letting on. This was a game to him. And a game that he was only playing out of duty. She knew that, if he wanted to, he could render the entire team incapacitated.

"We need to catch Kakashi-sensei while he's distracted." Sasuke paled as Akira emerged from behind him. He couldn't even ask how she got there before the girl continued, "We need to begin the triangle formation." What the girl lacked in physical prowess, she made up for with her theoretical knowledge of shinobi fighting styles.

"Hmph." Came the Uchiha's irritated response. There wasn't a chance he was going to listen to a loser like her. What did she know? She couldn't even pass the exams without being given a pass from the examiners, or whoever was foolish enough to grant her the position of genin.

Just then, Naruto screamed from another part of the wooded area.

"You really shouldn't be falling for such obvious traps, Naruto." Kakashi was toying with the kid and it made Akira feel more anxious. _Just how much was he holding back?_

"Let me do this." Sasuke noticed an opening as Kakshi began a long lecture to the blonde, who was currently hanging upside down in the tree. Akira sighed and figured she best try and get Sakura on her side, at the very least. She knew that her teammate was adept in chakra control, and could at least conjure up a couple of clones for the formation. Together, she hoped that they could retrieve the two bells and have their lunch.

Meanwhile, Sasuke launched a stream of shuriken. Each one landed true and Kakashi fell.

"You went too far!" Naruto screamed, his eyes wide as his teacher was struck before his eyes. But the shock was soon replaced by awe as the man's body was replaced by a log. The two boys stared in shock before Sasuke regained his composure and darted back, as far away from the situation as he could. His location had been blown.

Akira pursued Sakura, leaping through the trees as fast as she could. She could feel her aura nearby, but suddenly the pinkette screamed wildly and Akira stopped on the next branch. _Kakashi-sensei got to her too. My last bet is… finding Naruto._

At this point, it was more than clear to Akira that Kakashi was just playing them like dolls. _First Naruto… next Sasuke… and now Sakura… I'm next. _The realisation struck her and she changed her direction, hoping that he'd continue on her original path so that she might have enough time to get Naruto.

"There!" She breathed a sigh of relief and leapt to Naruto's side. "We need to create a triangle formation!" She urged the blonde, who seemed to be a lot more reciprocal to her order. Sure, he wasn;t sure what that formation required, but he was willing to go along if it meant beating Sasuke.

"Create a clone and we can… Naruto!" She yelped as the boy stepped on another trap and was sent flying, once again, into the air. _Kakashi-sensei is close…_

In that same moment, Kakashi launched a handful of kunai and shuriken at her. As he expected, she countered with a handful of her own shuriken. The blades clashed and bounced off of each other, flying off in other directions. _Crap... I'm on my own…_

Akira took this as her opportunity to create some distance between her and the man, who was still holding onto his book. If he wasn't going to take this seriously, then it meant she had even more reason to not mess up. Kakashi slammed his hand onto the ground, creating an earthquake that churned the ground up underneath Akira's feet. She jumped up and used the trunk of a tree to launch herself towards him. She didn't know any jutsu, so all she could do was engage the man in a battle of taijutsu.

She punched him, and the jonin effortlessly dodged it. She went to kick and just as Kakashi went to catch her foot, a surge of energy propelled him through the air like a bullet. Just before his body was thrown into the trees, he replaced himself with a log like before and emerged from the overgrowth beside Akira.

"Earth Style-"

Kakashi felt another surge of power behind him as a clone of the girl materialised behind him.

No…

He blinked and the girl he was about to attack was gone. The version behind her was the real form. She had just moved so quickly that, for a moment, it seemed as though there was two of her.

"Nuugh!" Kakashi grunted as he felt a fist land square in his back. Again, he used the replacement technique and masked his identity in the canopy of the trees, silently watching over her as she untied her dazed friend from the trees.

It was clear she had no control over how much chakra she used, as her body was already trembling. The chakra within her was frantic and he realised that was why her body seemed to glow a strange white hue whenever she was riled up. Now he could see why Hiruzen wanted him to take her on as well.

There was a lot of unbridled talent in his team. That much, he could tell, was evident in the way they behaved. He only wished they weren't so hyperfocused on their own individual success so that they might work as a team.

The alarm sprang into life as the second hand reached the hour. By this point, Naruto was tied up to a stump and the other three was standing at his side.

Kakashi appeared in front of them and the atmosphere around him darkened.

"What do you mean, we fail?!" Naruto wailed as he repeated the words Kakashi said, with such a coldness that Akira was thrown back in time to her earlier days at the Academy.

"_You fail!" _

Itsuki's words kept playing over and over again in her head. Her inadequacies were highlighted to her once again.

When Akira returned her attention to Kakakshi, she realised he was kneeling down on Sasuke, who was frantically trying to free himself.

"You guys have failed to see the one thing that would have led to your success of this test... Teamwork." Kakashi glowered at his team, feeling nothing short of disappointment. "Sakura, you had Naruto beside you but only cared for Sasuke. You, Naruto, was just running all over the place! And Sasuke, you ignored Akira, who actually got the point of this exercise, believing her and the others to just be a hindrance to you." After a little while longer, once Kakashi had explained the purpose of his test and how important the core value of teamwork was, he offered the team a single chance to redeem themselves - provided that they didn't offer Naruto any of their lunches.

The three genin took their seats and Naruto did his best to ignore the grumbling of his stomach.

"Hey, Naruto…" Akira whispered quietly, sitting right opposite the boy. "Take some of this, before Kakashi comes back."

Sasuke watched her and with a sigh, held out his bento box as well to Naruto, who seemed relieved at being able to tame the roaring in his gut.

After a minute of fussing from Sakura, who didn't want to get into any trouble, she eventually gave in and copied the raven-haired Uchiha. The three genin fed Naruto before feeding themselves and the skies filled with black, menacing clouds.

"You guys…!" Kakashi's voice boomed like a clap of thunder.

"... Pass!" He finished with a smile that reached all the way to the corners of his eyes.

Sakura and Naruto cheered in a frenzy, and Sasuke stood looking cooly ahead. He felt really proud of himself once Kakashi explained the reason for his change of heart. Even Akira was a little shell-shocked at the sudden turnabout.

But she wasn't about to argue. Instead, she undid her headband and held it close to her chest as if it might bring Itsuki closer to witness her achievement. _I did it._ She told him as she closed her eyes and returned the protector to her forehead once again.

* * *

"I passed!" Akira cheered as she ran up the steps to the tavern. "I passed, grandpa!" The grin on her face couldn't widen any more as she imagined Gin's face contort into a look of confusion. After all, had she not already graduated?

"Grandpa!" She called through the front doors, unknowingly passing by a sign that red "CLOSED" in large, red print.

As she ran through the seating area of the tavern and through the doors to the living quarters, Akira's ears picked up the distinct chiming of bells. _Weird,_ she thought to herself as she paused. All around her was empty… so empty, in fact, that she swore she could hear her own thoughts echo in the silence around her. _Those bells again… _ Akira circled until she could pinpoint where the sounds were coming from. _Upstairs,_ she confirmed to herself as she shook her head and started running towards the stairs where, finally, she found Gin sitting in his armchair, overlooking the village.

But something was amiss.

And before she could wonder what the issue was, she felt a numbness in her feet.

_Ding… That noise again… it's getting loud._

The numb feeling crept up her legs. Each step became sloppy and weighted down by an urge to close her eyes and sleep.

_Ding. _

_Ding,_

_Ding. _

Now the sensation was snaking around her body to her shoulders. Akira stood, paralysed to the spot as both arms flopped limply to her side. The chimes were confusing her senses, now, as they seemed to be ringing all around her in the room. She felt dizzy.

_Ding._

_Ding._

She could hear the armchair creaking as Gin got to his feet. There was an unnerving calmness in his pace as he stepped across from the window.

_Dong._

That sound alone reverberated around her. Akira's knees buckled, she closed her eyes, yelped and dropped to the floor. As she laid on the ground, she felt a presence standing over her.

_Dong._

When she finally opened her eyes, a pair of soulless, black orbs were staring back at her. And a sickly, twisted grin contorted the face of the old man.

"At last, you're awake."

And, with that, Akira relinquished her final breath to scream for help from anyone who might be able to hear her. But there was nobody.

Her cries were drowned out by a sudden chorus of bells that tormented her brain until the rest of her body simply decided to give up.

* * *

**I've changed the bio of the story. I feel like Akira's story needs a little more exploring before the rest of the main series continues, and the direction I had planned for this to take has completely changed. Reviews would be much appreciated. Thanks for all the follows and favourites!**


	8. Illusions

**A/N: So I had a really fun time writing this, albeit a difficult one. I never realised until I Googled it that Naruto was immune to most genjutsu - which will play a big part later on! **

**Anyway, I am hoping to update this story maybe twice a week. Read to the end as I have a couple of questions for you guys regarding this story, a possible spin-off and where you want this to go. I've already had a couple of messages which had a pretty cool idea that I'll surely be incorporating, but if you have any ideas of your own let me know!**

**Also, I've finally added some Naruto Akira fluff at the end haha! Just a little tease, but I can include more if it's something you guys like. **

* * *

They were trapped.

When Akira opened her eyes, she found herself in an all too familiar setting. She was stuck inside an old orphanage, that was quickly being taken over by a ferocious blaze and the lingering promise of death.

Since her birthday and the death of her parents, this building had become the only home she'd ever known.

The truth behind their passing had always remained a secret from the girl, but she knew that they had fought in a battle against one of the countries that neighboured her home in the Land of Caverns. It was the first war her nation had ever experienced and also its last, as the land was left completely destroyed once the dust finally settled several years later.

The orphanage was on the outskirts of the Land of Caverns and deemed safe enough from the conflict so Akira, along with tens of other children, were sent there until the fight was over. However, just three years later, the raiders had located the orphanage and had pinned the building as their final target. Within hours of discovering the building's location, they'd unleashed a bombardment of explosive ammunition upon it and had wiped out the entire building, killing most of the children instantly. However, a couple of children managed to escape into the basement.

Daisuke had led Akira to the cellar, hoping that they'd make it out through the bulkhead doors at the end. There was an eerie silence that followed them, as if to constantly remind the pair of those they'd left behind to perish in the attack. But the silence was short-lived, as another round of explosives were set off shortly after.

A large timber beam crashed down just inches behind the children, followed closely by the ceiling that collapsed after it. Daisuke quickly yanked Akira away from the falling debris' path before running from the terrific blaze as it began to chase after the two of them. Grabbing her hand, Daisuke negotiated the path through the basement towards the exit, but no matter how fast their legs tried to carry them, the flames were always hot on their heels, like a hound on the scent of the fox.

Just as they reached the end, the door frame started to creak under the weight of the building that had been demolished above it.

Their time was quickly running out.

Without a moment's hesitation, the young boy swept Akira up and sprinted towards the exit. Just as the frame caved in, Daisuke launched Akira through the was a moment of brooding calm, as in the eye of the hurricane, in which Daisuke watched the girl's body knock through the doors like a jackknife and then, as he leapt forward after her, felt the door frame close around his body. For a moment, Daisuke thought he saw Akira's head lift up from the ground to look at him, as if aware of the ensnaring tomb that would seal his fate.

Then, an almighty blast boomed as the last of the orphanage was reduced to just smouldering timber.

There was silence for a moment as Akira struggled onto her hands and knees.

"Daisuke?" She croaked out as the smoke scorched her throat. Her eyes burned from the cinders that were being flicked up from the pile of rubble. "Daisuke!" Suddenly, she felt someone reach out and touch her ankle.

Akira turned around and took the boy's hands. They were cool against her own hands despite the flaming ruins from which they had escaped. And then she realised…

.. He hadn't managed to get away in time.

The boy's entire upper half was sprawled out on the ground. Meanwhile, the rest of him had been completely crushed by the weight of the fallen building. He'd lost all feeling in his legs and the sensation was slowly teasing up the rest of his body until it could claim every muscle in his body. The fear of being left paralysed was matched only by the fear that it wouldn't be fast enough and he'd start to feel even more the flames that were eating away at his upper body.

Akira couldn't hold back her frantic cries. Her fists tightened around his hands and desperately tried to pull him free until his weak groans urged her to stop. Finally defeated, Akira's body slumped beside the boy. With her face buried in Daisuke's thick, red, spiked hair, Akira wept and wrapped her arms as best as she could around him. She turned her face into the crook of his neck, whispering something that sounded a little like pleads to an unknown entity, but Daisuke couldn't make any of it out.

It pained him enormously to see Akira like this. As irrational as it was, Daisuke's final thoughts were reserved for his dearest friend. And with the gentlest of smiles, he caressed her red-flushed cheeks with his bloodied hand, and guided her to face him. Glazed, teary eyes met his dulling blue ones and he could feel a despair whirling behind her gaze. That just about ruined him. All he could really bring the strength to do was brush back a lock of matted white hair that veiled over her face.

"My Firefly, Hotaru Akira... " his gentle voice cracked as the black smoke burned down his throat with each breath. The pain was like a hot, serrated knife cutting up the inside of his throat, and with each word, he realised just how quickly his energy and chakra was draining from his body. And Akira could feel it too.

So many things raced through Daisuke's mind in his final moments with Akira, but there was just no way he could find to word them. He knew that he treasured her, adored her, perhaps even _loved_ her - but what did such a word even mean? He contemplated his feelings for a brief moment, wondering if he had known a life of tenderness and care before Akira, if he might then know the name of this emotion that welled inside his grieving heart.

But now, with every breath he took, an unbearable pain ignited inside his chest and he knew there was very little time he had left to tell her all the things he wanted to say. He simply hadn't the energy to fight through this pain and with every ticking second, he knew Akira's lungs would be filling with smoke as well.

"Go."

_Don't watch me die like this_

"Now."

In that moment, he only wished he could have told her something a little more lasting and important for her to know. There was so much he could have said, _should_ have said… but all that he could muster was:

"Please don't look back."

Akira's hold tightened around Daisuke's body.

How could he tell her to give up and abandon him when he was in the most need! Her heart was breaking at the thought of leaving him to die alone, but she knew that she couldn't let his final act be in vain. Time would only know how much longer she could stay before suffocating on the smoky air she was inhaling.

Words failed the child as she closed her eyes, hoping that somehow Daisuke would understand everything she wanted to tell him. She hoped that he would understand that she didn't want to do this to him.

"I-"

Then, in the distance, a bell chimed as a pair of cold, black eyes watched over her.

* * *

When Akira opened her eyes Daisuke was gone and she had returned to her actual age, but she was still on the ground in the same place as before. The flames had died down to ash and black dust that had piled up all around her. Even the building was now just a heap of scorched timber frames that had buried beneath it the bodies of her friends. And Daisuke.

_Oh, God, Daisuke…!_

A wrinkled hand placed itself upon her shoulder and sent a shiver through her spine.

"Do you see now, Akira, my child, that all this… all of this unnecessary pain… was caused by you?" There was a solemn, matter-of-fact way in which Gin spoke to her. He knew very well how to break the girl down.

Akira violently shook her head, still grasping at the sand-like soil where Daisuke had been laying. "I didn't mean to!" She cried out desperately as the old man rubbed her shoulder softly.

"I know that. And you know that. But that doesn't change the fact that all of these people: your mother, father, friends, Daisuke… even Itsuki-sensei… they're all dead because of you." Gin took a deep breath and released it slowly. "They're dead because of who you are. _What _you are."

* * *

When the bell chimed again, Akira woke to discover that she was now somewhere else - atop the hills that overlooked her hometown. The entire world around her had been maimed by the war that had spanned over several years. Not a sound could be heard for miles, as every living creature that had been spared had sought refuge in the surrounding lands, never to return. All that was left was the decayed matter amidst the piles of rubble that had once been their homes, businesses and schools. It was a truly sorry state.

"Your power is unique only to you. It's a special kekkei-töta that consists of the three nature transformation: wind, fire and lightning. Its ability to be used as a weapon in war is what drove those nations to your country and left it like this."

"But I don't… I mean, I didn't do anything. I don't _have _any powers... " Akira's voice became small as she felt the air around her push down on her. Her entire village had been reduced to a graveyard of bodies because of something she apparently had inside her. Them it hit her that perhaps the strange energy she had felt inside her recently was this ability she'd inherited at birth. _But then why would people have come after me back then?_

"But you do, Akira." Gin said simply, without any further explanation, snapping the girl from her thoughts. His lack of any detail only seemed to demonstrate his lack of knowledge surrounding bloodline limits and selections.

The girl simply sat up and stared vacantly ahead, trying to make sense of any of this. Nothing made sense.

"Even as a baby, your power was beyond your control. It hadn't fully formed, but was still enough energy to kill your mother. And leave you blind from the sheer energy of the light you unleashed." Gin filled in the silence as he stepped back, feeling for something that he had covered under his robe. "Your father was the only one left to try and find a cure… but to stop such power comes at a dear price."

All of this information was far too much for Akira to take in. Nothing made sense to her as she tried to piece together the timeline that she had long forgotten about.

"It was easier to seal it back when you were barely a few hours old, despite the heavy cost it required. But since that fool Itsuki broke that seal I feel it won't be quite as easy to put you back under my control." The man's lips twisted into an expression that depicted his frustrated thoughts exactly.

_His control?_

"Don't look so surprised, my child. You almost remind me of your father when he finally figured it out as well… All too late, of course." And with those final words, Gin withdrew from its sheath, a long, slender katana sword. The time for talking was over - now he needed to bring her down in this illusion of his. She was already reaching the point of emotional exhaustion, but there was still more to do in order to break her body physically. And only then, would he be able to replace the seal and regain his power over her.

Gin swept the blade straight for Akira, who only just managed to dodge. But she wasn't quite so lucky the second time when the blade returned and gouged into her stomach, thrusting the tip as it pierced out of her back. Akira lurched forward, spewing out a stream of thick blood. An excruciating pain shot through her entire body as the sword retreated from her. Then she dropped to the ground.

And the bell chimed.

* * *

When Akira blinked, she found herself back in the room where she had found Gin earlier except she was now on her own. Her hands clutched at her stomach, expecting there to be a gaping hole in her body and blood that would soak her dress, but it was dry. Physically, Akira was perfectly fine, but in her mind she still felt every muscle tear as she breathed slowly.

Suddenly, a presence appeared behind her and the same blade as before slit across her throat and a red liquid cascaded from the wound. Akira flopped to the ground, dying, yet still somehow aware that she was alive. When she blinked again, everything returned to normal at the chime of a bell.

Every time she opened her eyes, something new would happen to her body. She felt a sharp, indescribable pain as the blade stabbed into her body over and over. The sound of the ringing bells echoed in her head as they beckoned the next wave of torture.

Beyond this elaborate illusion, Akira was frozen, unable to break free as the demented man used her body like a pin cushion for his katana. His torture spanned over hours, maybe even days, the girl couldn't be sure. Her body was simply numbed from the all-too-real pain she felt in this other world.

By the time Akira's body had finally given up the fight after barely an hour had passed in the real world, yet all Akira could feel was the constant, merciless ringing of bells rattling and vibrating within her tired, weak body. There was no part of her physical self that hadn't been reduced to ribbons of flesh. And yet, she was still conscious that she was alive, although internally begging that he would just kill her.

_Please..._

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was making his way towards the tavern. It had been a while since he had deliberately passed by this place and even though he had just seen Akira earlier during the bell test, he didn't think she would mind him coming by again. There was a definite enthusiasm in his step as he made his way up the steps to the front door, eager to be able to talk since they didn't have much of a chance earlier.

However, as he approached the tavern , he noticed how there wasn't a single light on in the building and that the place was perfectly still with silence. Something didn't sit well with the genin as he wondered what he should do. The notion that Akira could be asleep still was plausible, but surely her grandfather would be awake and busying himself?

It was in that moment that Naruto noticed a sign that read "CLOSED" on the door. Suddenly a knot formed in his gut and Naruto turned the handle to let himself in.

Upstairs, he could hear a sudden scuffle, as though he had startled someone above him. Nothing was making sense and the blonde-haired boy made his way hastily up the stairs. As he reached the top, he heard the sound of a gong drop to the ground, followed closely by a high pitched scream.

"Akira!" He shouted as he rammed the door open to the room. Naruto immediately grabbed a hold of the girl, who was laying, trembling on the floor and begging for it all to stop. He'd never seen her like this, and it frightened him to his core. "What happened?!" The boy shook her, as if that might snap her out of her trance-like state, but she just kept trembling and pleading for it to stop hurting.

"You monster, what did you do to her!?" Looking up from his friend, Naruto yelled just as Gin stepped forward with a glare that seemed to absorb what little light there was in the room. The old man's face was completely void of emotion with the exception of a brief flicker of a smile that faded almost as soon as it appeared.

"A little too late, I'm afraid." Gin replied with a feigned regret as he caught Naruto's eyes with his own.

Just then, a bell chimed yet again as the man beat a small gong-like instrument inside his pocket.

Akira froze up and Gin waited for the boy to be transported to the world he had crafted to break the pair down, but nothing happened.

"What's that noise? Time for you to take your old man pills or something, huh?" Naruto's body was shaking with a type of rage he hadn't felt before. His fists clenched into tight balls as an otherworldly energy bubbled within and formed a barrier around him.

Gin was stunned into silence as he watched the red chakra wrap around Naruto's entire body. This was not an aura that he had seen or felt in his life before.

"Well don't bother. I don't know what you've done to Akira-chan, but you're going to pay for this!" Just then, Naruto hit the palm of his left hand with the fist of his right. "It ends now!" The sound of the boy's booming voice echoed in the room and for the first time, Gin felt a wave of uncertainty resonate through him.

"How are you unaffected by my auditory illusion?" Gin stammered, while he backed away into the wall, feeling the infernal power weigh down upon him. As a man with very little physical prowess, his illusions were all that he had at his disposal and now even they were useless to him. In that moment, Gin seemed to allow himself to accept the fate that he had set himself in..

Naruto wasn't listening to the man's pathetic attempt to prolong his life. He was like an animal possessed by rage and suddenly sprang into action, closing the space between him and Gin in an instant. With his fist readied, Naruto landed a punch square in the man's face, hitting him so hard that the guy's neck snapped to one side. Unrelenting, Naruto landed punch after punch after punch until the man was lying on the floor, in a pool of his own blood, completely helpless to do anything other than stare wide-eyed at the boy. There was no part of his body that was mobile now as the boy came at him with such ferocity, even Akira was taken aback once her eyes blinked open at last.

"Naruto?… Naruto!" Akira could feel the intense chakra radiating from his body, completely unaware of its source, and somehow managed to get to her feet to stop her friend. This wasn't the Naruto she recognised. His chakra had transformed into something much more demonic and sinister.

And it terrified her.

There was a frenzy in his eyes when he finally turned to face her that truly disturbed Akira, even when it slowly dissipated. This couldn't be Naruto. It had to be an illusion. But for the first time her body was frozen, not from pain, but from a tormenting fear that left her completely paralysed.

It overwhelmed Akira, who couldn't find the energy within to fight anymore. She couldn't let herself experience another manifestation of her most frightening nightmares. Not anymore.

So Akira finally closed her eyes and let herself give up. She felt her body's muscles release the tension they'd been holding onto and then the air push against her as her body went limp and fell to the floor.

But she never hit the ground. Naruto's chakra subsided in an instant as he darted across the floor and caught her just inches before her head hit the floor. Not a single one of her muscles even quivered as Naruto held the frail girl in his arms. She was completely broken by whatever the old man had done to her and, as much as he wanted to finish the guy off, he needed to care for Akira now. With a final glance at Gin, Naruto then made a move out of the window to search for Kakashi.

* * *

Once the air had stilled after Naruto's departure, Gin sighed in relief before his body slumped further into the corner. There was nothing left he could do now but wait out the last remaining moments of his life.

However, some time later, Gin was woken up by a cloaked figure that emerged through the open window, adorning a strangely vacant white mask. There was a certain limp in his step as the man made his way to the end of the room and took a seat upon a stool. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Their voice was brimming with a familiar, smug arrogance that was just slightly muffled beneath the porcelain mask

A crooked smile made its way to Gin's face as he spluttered up a lump of congealed blood. "There… will be... more after me…" He gasped, barely able to breathe as he spoke, yet determined to remind this man that his work was long from being over.

"Perhaps." The stranger's voice was hushed as he leaned back, silently observing the man's cheeks begin to pale. He waited until the faint pinkness faded into a muted grey tone all over his body and confirmed to the cloaked figure Gin's eventual demise. In that moment, the man tilted his head back as relief washed over him, albeit for a short moment. One thing Gin's words held truth to was the assurance that someone would always be next in line. And it wouldn't be exclusive to just Akira - her friend, Naruto, harboured within him a power that was beyond this world and that would surely attract danger too.

For now, he knew the pair would be safe in the village, but their time was undoubtedly running out. And fast. Soon they would both need to learn how to control their powers in order to defend themselves and their home otherwise the consequences… well, he couldn't even begin to imagine what might happen.

With his final thoughts starting to trail off, the man hobbled over to the lifeless body and quickly formed a couple of hand seals. A vibrant blue flash sparked from the tips of his fingers and caught onto the fabric of Gin's clothes. Within seconds, the body was reduced to nothing but ash and the man waved his hand so that the ashes would vanish along with the flames. As soon as it was over, the man made a note in a small black book and swiftly fled the scene.

* * *

On his way to find their sensei, Naruto felt Akira stir at last and whisper something to him. Unable to make out what she had said, the blonde haired genin slowed to a stop. For a moment where neither of them said anything, almost as if waiting for the other to fill in the blanks of their knowledge. Then Akira finally spoke up a little clearer, albeit only slightly more audible than before.

"Where am I going?" Akira still couldn't open her eyes, too afraid that if she did she might find herself lost in another one of those hellish nightmares. The ringing in her ears had finally faded to a dull buzz but the pain inflicted in each of her muscles had yet to yield, even a little.

"I was gonna take you to -" Naruto began, but paused when he saw that Akira's face had twisted into a tight grimace.

"Can you take me home, please?" Her voice softened as she begged her friend. Naruto frowned in confusion, not sure what she meant - he certainly wasn't taking her back to that tavern. "Please."She pleaded as she leaned closer into Naruto's chest. "I just want this to be over." In the space of a few hours, Akira's life had been completely torn apart once again. All she wanted was for her life to go back to how it used to be - whatever that meant - where she wasn't shadowed by some unshakeable force that hurt those around her.

Naruto said nothing, and simply held her closer to him as she wept quietly into his stained orange jacket. Eventually, he decided against pursuing Kakashi-sensei and instead took her back to his place in hopes that she might be able to rest a little. He knew she'd be safe at least with him and hopefully he might be able to help her shake off the fear that had rooted itself deep inside. It was a tall order, but Naruto didn't think Akira needed any more people gaining insight into something she was still recovering from.

* * *

After a short while, the pair finally made it to Naruto's apartment. The place was littered with instant ramen cups and a few dishes that piled up in his kitchen sink, slowly exuding a very distinct "off" aroma.

Akira finally opened her eyes slowly, a little alarmed at being somewhere so unfamiliar.

"This is my place." Naruto answered the question that he could tell was on her mind as he gently helped Akira to her feet. Her body was still very shaky, so the boy didn't mind that she still held onto him for balance. "I'm sorry about the mess… I guess I just got super excited this morning and forgot, heh heh." Naruto rubbed the back of his head with an anxious laugh before guiding his friend to his room. There wasn't a lot of sleeping options in his home, so Naruto figured he'd let Akira sleep in his bed while he took the flat mattress.

Akira didn't seem overly talkative as they got themselves ready for the night. The fear that something bad might happen in her sleep kept playing on her mind, but she didn't want to bother Naruto over her worries and kept herself silent.

But Naruto was already busying his mind with his concerns for Akira. His body was splayed out like a star and his eyes were wide awake as he thought about the old man and what might have happened to him since they left the tavern. Unaware that there was definitely no chance that Gin would be coming back now, Naruto's thoughts still played with the possibility and whether or not Gin could track Akira down to this house.

Just as his mind had exhausted the last plausible way in which the guy could have escaped, Naruto felt a warmth creep up to him. When he cast his gaze to the side, Naruto smiled a little as Akira scooted down from the main bed to his camping mat. For a moment, he contemplated saying something but he found his words get caught in his throat as the young girl sleepily laid her head upon his outstretched arms.

"Thank you, Naruto." Akira finally whispered to her friend as she shifted her weight a little and draped an arm over him, completely unaware of the bright red colour that had painted the boy's cheeks.

* * *

**Right, so please let me know what you think. I've had a few very interesting PMs and some encouraging reviews! Now, as mentioned at the start, I've got a few ideas I'd like some thought on. One that I've been seriously considering is a spin-off from Akira's early days in the Land of Caverns (not a real place in Naruto canon!). I quite like Daisuke as a character and thought it could be interesting to have maybe five chapters or so about her life there and how things built up to the present day. **

**Also (and I realise that this is planning a little too far ahead), but I've started reading the Boruto manga and the confirmation of Naru Hina... Do you want Akira and Naruto to be more of a romantic pairing or a friendship pairing? As they're still really young, I don't think I'll write them being that romantic, but when I do the sequel for Shippuden, I think that their relationship will start taking a more "serious" turn. **

**Anyway, leave me your thoughts, especially if you have ideas for the near future chapters. Personally, I quite like the little fluff at the end. I felt like it would be true to Akira's character after the ordeal, thay she would find some solace in being physically closer to Naruto. **

**And as always, see you in the next chapter which will hopefully be Wednesday or something if I can keep up with two updates a week. **


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